Revenants of War
by Drakonseye
Summary: Set after DotD. Malefor is dead, the war since past. Spyro and Cynder enjoy their break, but when they encounter a member of an extinct race, they discover that "dead" might not be so permanent. (Story under remastering, you'll notice the old parts easily.)
1. Chapter 1

As the sun rose over one of the very few yet unscarred mountains in the Realms, it briefly touched the tips of each tree in a vast forest. Inside it, a few Atlawan hunters guarded totems while small animals hopped about, hunting the elusive yet seemingly delicious butterflies dancing just out of reach. The morning passed by peacefully enough for the inhabitants of Tall Plains, who were once again in worship of a certain purple dragon who had saved them from drifting off into the sky.

That dragon's rest, however, was soon to end. As the sun finally crested the mountain, a beam of light found its way onto his purple eyelids. Spyro winced as he slowly opened his eyes, the harsh glare nearly blinding. Taking in his surroundings, the violet dragon sighed happily; even after waking to the same view for a week the vibrance and beauty of the land still amazed him. Granted, part of his pride could have been that he had saved it from Malefor.

As he rose to his feet, back popping with morning aches, Spyro glanced down to his side. The ebony and scarlet dragoness still sleeping beside him only added to the beauty of his surroundings, and made up a greater part of why he had enjoyed their vacation so, so much. He took the short amount of time he had to take in her form ―again― before she woke up; even if she really didn't mind, Spyro preferred not to be caught― again.

From her somehow polished black scales to the vibrant red in her underbelly that could make the finest rose pale in comparison, Spyro could never fathom how such a fine female had chosen him ―unkempt, clumsy him― for a partner. For him, it went past her appearance, as well. At times, Cynder could be rather defiant, but overall she preferred to keep quiet, and for good reason. Even if quite a few dragons had forgiven her, that proud dragoness of his seemed unwilling to surrender her private vigil for the fallen.

Spyro quickly returned his gaze forward as the dragoness beside him gave a small yawn, sleep finally relinquishing its grasp on her as well. She stretched her lithe form out beside him, then winced much like him as her emerald eyes were greeted by the sun's bright glare.

The two heroes sat there, taking in the view for a short while longer before Cynder finally stood again, padding to his side and brushing his cheek. Spyro returned the gesture affectionately, then met her eyes as they lay together once more.

"How have you been this morning?" Cynder whispered. The morning tranquil seemed too new to them to break so soon.

"I'm all right, all things considered… I've got you, haven't I?" Spyro whispered back, tilting his head in mock consideration. "Although… it _would_ be nice if I could catch you, even once…"

And it was true. Ever since the guardians had given them their not-optional vacation they had been dancing through the clouds, Cynder just outside his reach. No matter how much effort he put into his flight, her tailtip was just out of his reach. Still, it wasn't to say the two hadn't enjoyed the little game. After they had been ―forcibly― sent to "relax", the two had discovered with no little amount of dismay that the most relaxing thing they knew how to do was spar. But two welts and a lack of healing gems later, the duo had discovered that was quite possibly _not_ the best way to relax.

Cynder's gentle smile widened slightly. "Well, maybe today's your lucky day, purple boy!" She stood, preparing to launch herself into the air, but Spyro shook his head slowly.

"We're actually supposed to be back this night, and my wings are still sore from it all." Spyro's gaze fell to the ground. He hated to take all the fun away, but if they were to have another break they would have to return on time.

"Aww… Do we really have to go today?" Cynder whined. Spyro wavered for a moment. The temptation was mounting, but regretfully he shook his head.

"We've got to get there today… anyway, the Guardians promised us that the temple was going to be repaired when we got back. I can't wait…"

The wreckage of the old dragon temple was one of the floating islands expelled from the planet's core when the world had been repaired, and Spyro was immensely grateful that the Ancestors had seen fit to keep most of the temple intact, though the old statue of Malefor in the dojo had seemingly vanished altogether. But Terrador and a small group of earth dragons had accepted the challenge of reaffixing the temple's landmass to the ground, though noticeably nearer to Warfang.

Cynder perked up at the reminder. "Let's go, then! Last one to get back has to polish Cyril's antique armor collection!"

Spyro paled. Not wanting to have a rag in hand for months, he leapt into the air with a speed that dwarfed all of his play-chases with Cynder, knowing that while he would be joking she likely wasn't.

* * *

><p>The flight back was long, arduous, and the only break in the wondrous experience of flying was the ocean view, and even if Cynder didn't believe him he was still going to point out the massive turtle-creature that had saved his life. As the two dragons soared over solid grounds once more, the vast woodlands gave way to the duller, if yet more comforting, assortment of giant mushrooms. As the Dragon Temple came into view just above the setting sun, Spyro frowned. While it was great to see the temple in near-pristine condition for the first time, the large camps spread out across the mountainside were troubling. But he supposed it was better that families actually wanted their younglings to learn the ways of elements once more.<p>

_Then again_, Spyro thought to himself guiltily, _they probably have to pay for their training, now that the war's over…_

The trainers of said elements were working slowly at the mass of dragons outside the gate. Here he could see a blue and off-white dragon lead a group into the Temple with an air of self-confidence, and there he could see a green blip proceeding the same, albeit much more modest, direction. And _inside_ he could hear a rapid-paced voice babbling on about the various, numerous,numberless, countless, innumerable choices, trajectories, trails, directions one could study while residing at the temple. It was all rather overwhelming.

But the one dragon who truly stood out to Spyro was the massive, polite, well-spoken red dragon calmly reassuring the camps. He shuddered, closing his eyes once more as he heard the Fire Guardian's cries of anguish as his shield had failed, burning and repelling him. He had thought for sure Ignitus had been lost to them, but it was his greatest relief as the elder dragon had found his way slowly back to the Dragon City.

As the two teenaged dragons spiralled down for a landing, Ignitus spotted them, waving them closer with a wing. The two landed before the red dragon, who bowed to them ever-so-slightly in greeting.'

"Spyro, Cynder, it's good to have you back. As you can see the Temple's original purpose of training the newer generations is renewed, and even as we restock our supplies we can begin to house some inhabitants. It's somewhat jam-packed, however, and you may have an unexpected guest." Ignitus grimaced, then lowered his voice. "There is also more we must speak of in the morning. For now though, just get some rest." With that, Ignitus returned to his duties.

Suddenly exhausted, Spyro gave Cynder a half-hearted nuzzle before trudging back to his room. Before he could lay down for a rest, however, He was stopped by the sight of another dragon in his room, sleeping on a makeshift bed near his own.

"What is this about?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Keep in mind to anyone who might come to read this, if the quality of the story suddenly takes a **_**dramatic**_ **dip, it's because I haven't restarted that chapter yet. Plot holes, time lapses― all that good story mechanic. I'm working on revising this… again… but be patient and it'll progress slowly. The story's at its bare bones at the moment. ~Drakonseye**


	2. Chapter 2

[REVISED]

Second chapter now revised! Next chapter change soon.

Chapter 2: new faces

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"What the hell is going on in here?"

Flame's eyes snapped open at the shocked inquiry. Yawning, he stood and padded over to the dragon who had walked in. "Sorry about just dropping in like this... the elders are having trouble sorting sleeping quarters for everybody and they just assigned me to sleep here." Flame paused. "Wait... are you Spyro?!"

Spyro nodded, understanding the situation outside; quarters would have to be cramped until Warfang was fully rebuilt. Then he grinned. "Yeah that's me. I figured people would have to be blind not to have seen me, but I walked past groups of dragons and nobody even blinked twice."

"That's so cool! I didn't even know who lived here." There was a pause, then Flame stretched out a paw for a handshake. "I'm Flame."

Spyro nodded, returning the handshake and doing his best to remember his name. Suddenly, he swayed, and Flame was hard-pressed to catch Spyro before he fell.

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A few hours later, Cynder was soundly asleep when a metallic rod slapped the back of her neck. Shouting out a string of curses, she fumbled around for a foothold while her "assailant" whimpered an apology. Panting from the sudden strike, her head whipped around to find what had struck her, only to find another dragoness cowering in front of her with a VERY broken cot strewn around (and on) the bed.

The dragoness was young, little more than a hatchling, like many who had come to the Temple for refuge. She had pink colored scales, the same colored eyes, and a heart-shaped necklace. "Oh god, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you, but these cots are harder to make than they look. My name is Ember," She added apologetically while Cynder dislodged the metal rod from her horns.

"It's fine, and hi, just... you can ask for help," Cynder said in an almost pained voice. "I won't hurt you."

Ember glanced over to her quizzically." What? Oh, I understand. I can't say everyone feels the same way, but I don't blame you for what the Dark Master did to you."

Cynder was surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah, there's a number of people who actually read the report on what happened. You and Spyro saved the world, didn't you?"

Cynder was close to tears at the news. "Really?" She managed to gasp out before completely breaking down in joy. " I-I don't know what to say," she managed before asking, "How many people have forgiven what I did?"

Ember looked at the ground,thinking for a moment before replying, "Seven that I know of, but there are only two here other than me: Cyrus and... Flame." She said his name dreamily, her eyes closing partway while doing so.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"You said 'Flame' and your eyes glazed over. Who's Flame?"

"Oh he's just a guy..."

"Oh!" Cynder said, understanding what she meant. "Do you talk to him?"

"We're friends, but I think he doesn't realize I want something more. Anyway, Flame is a fire dragon with an orange spine that looks like rippling fire and wingskins that are also orange. Cyrus, on the other hand, is a white ice dragon, even if he prefers the term 'frost dragon'. He's got blue wings and eyes, but everything else is white."

Cynder did her best to remember those names but got the feeling she would have to ask again in the morning. "Okay... so do you want help setting up the cot?"

Ember grimaced. "One of the rods went out the window, and a few are broken... I don't think that will work."

After pondering the situation, Cynder agreed with her. "Well, I guess we could share the bed tonight and get you another tomorrow?"

"That'd be fine to me," Ember said, "Just so long as it doesn't get... personal."

"Um... I'm not like that..."

"Well then good night."

"G'night."

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Author's notes:

For those who might be confused this is the difference:

•Partners: sort of like boyfriend/girlfriend status.

•Mates: paired for life: like being married, for lack of better comparison.

Next chapter will be up soon, reviews and advice would be nice.

Until next time, Drakonseye.

[P.S.] sorry the chapters are short; they'll be longer soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Sneak Attacked

Spyro groaned as he sat up the next morning. He had had a rather odd dream the last night; he had been taller, bipedal, and fleeing from a pack of wild dreadwings. Thankfully, he was awake now, but that didn't soothe him. There was a certain air that morning that suggested something had happened. Flame was sitting in the corner, looking crushed, and there was a busy bustle outside their room.

Eventually, the near-lifeless red dragon across the room stood and gestured toward the door, then led him down the hall and past a crowd, all either cut or carrying injured comrades.

At that point, Spyro came to realize something terrible HAD happened. Gently, for Flame looked broken, he asked, "What's going on?"

The only answer he got was an almost inaudible whimper and a nudge toward the infirmary, which had apparently been their destination. Pushing the large door open, Spyro gasped at what he saw.

There were several dozen dragons, each with various cuts, bruises, and splints. It was clear to see that there were multiple medics, but the many of them were clustered near the rear of the room, where nobody could see in where a few patients were in the worst state. It was where Flame was leading him and Spyro had a feeling he wouldn't like what he would see –but when he did see, he was close to weeping openly.

There were two dragonesses laying in the back: one was a pink dragoness with a necklace, but she was simply glanced over by Spyro, because the other one... was Cynder.

It looked as though she had been mauled by an entire pride of lions. Where a scale-covered flank ought to have been, a raw gash had ripped open her side, while all over her body there were other lacerations, and even though Spyro was no doctor, he could tell that Cynder's left forepaw was broken.

Spyro was left speechless by the sight before him. The one person in the world he cared so much for, the one he had guarded, was also the only one broken to that extent. Looking over, he hastily amended that thought. Although the other dragoness didn't have many small injuries, there was a terrible cut that looked like it ran straight over her eyes and she looked as though a golem's fist had punched her side and left several points where ribs had been broken. Just then, Spyro swore if he could that he would have his revenge on who had wrought such destruction.

After Spyro and Flame had gathered themselves, they went to the guardians, hoping to find some answers.

With Ignitus (in library)

Without question Ignitus was both angry and worried. "Those who did this must die," he hissed angrily. "They snuck in during the middle of the night and killed virtually all of the dragons still waiting for shelter. Then they moved into the Temple itself, and if it wasn't for Cynder and Ember, we would've died."

**long-ish flashback**

Ember had always been a light sleeper. She had awoken from the silvery moonlights to a strange noise emanating from outside. Shaking herself to become calm, she walked to the room's water basin to get a drink. She sighed. Fire dragons constantly had the problem of a dry mouth, especially after a meal or a fight. Shaking off extra drops of water, she walked back to the main room. She heard a noise, glancing toward the hall and window to find apes trying to sneak through the room, grappling hooks embedded on the windowsill. Ember suspected Cynder was only still alive because she was mostly black-colored. Treading lightly, She snuck to where her roommate was still sleeping. She knew she couldn't even attempt to beat them by herself.

"Cynder," she whispered. "Cynder, wake up."

"Hu...huh?"Cynder groaned sleepily," Go away Spyro, I'm so tired..."

"Cynder, wake up! There are apes sneaking through our room! The only reason we're still alive is because they haven't noticed us yet."

That woke her up. Cynder's eyes shot open and she growled, low and quietly." Where are they?" She snarled.

"In the other room, now hurry! We don't have much time!"

Ember and Cynder tore into the room, fighting as though they had been practicing for the battle for months. They stayed at each others sides for the start, firing waves of blue-hot fire over the entirety of the small horde. It drew them into a corner, cowering behind their larger, more armored brethren. A few were unlucky enough to be caught in the inferno, and spread more of the searing flames across the room.

If the display of elemental might intimidated their opponents, they showed no sign of it. They simply advanced behind a metal wall until they could engage in combat. The two dragonesses fought for what seemed like hours, tossing aside one dead enemy after another only to sink tooth and claw into the next enemy. They were eventually separated, but soon after that it was clear that the waves of opponents were clearing out. As Cynder leaped to bring down the last of their enemies, Ember padded up to her. There was a cut above her eye from a lucky strike, and a few spots on Cynder's side that were bashed from fierce defense.

"We should probably check to make sure they didn't reach anywhere else," Ember growled. They moved toward the door, but stopped short when they saw what had happened to it– the metal and rock had been carelessly fused shut by one of their gouts of flame.

While Cynder inspected the door, Ember padded toward the window and began dislodging the hooks from the wall. Then she ducked as a giant silver and gray hook whizzed into the ceiling, narrowly missing Ember.

She dashed away from the window as a large and armored hand heaved its way into the room. The reat of the ape commander's body similarly followed suit. Standing in the center of the room, Cynder judged that it was just as big, if not bigger, than Gaul had been. It towered above them, a large hammer in its right hand, a small hammer in the left, and an axe on its back. To make matters worse, a group of four dreadwings followed their juggernaut leader into the room.

Cynder heard a banging on the door behind her. A frosty and sharp voice called through the door.

"Is everything all right?"

Cynder pressed to the door as she replied. "Hurry to get through! We'll need help soon!" She then turned toward the veritable giant facing them, and moved to attack.

The battle started out well enough; as she ducked under one hammer face the was able to take one of the dreadwings by surprise and cut it down before resuming a defensive position against her opponents. Nearby, she saw Ember in battle against two of the other dreadwings in a match that she wasn't prepared for; she clearly hadn't had experience against enemies that could also steady themselves in midair.

The problem was slightly simplified as the commander misjudged a swing of his weapon and brained one of the fliers. It smashed into the wall, no more than a pulpy bag that was once a formidable enemy.

The warning taken, Ember quickly freed herself from her opponent as the ape's other weapon mulched the other

Turning toward the center of the room, they quickly jumped back as their enemy swung again, lower so as to prevent the option to duck. Seeing her chance, Ember scrambled up the shaft of the weapon as it caught in the floor. She evaded swing after swing of the free weapon, then appeared to ignore her and focused on pulling up the hammer. Quickly, Cynder melted the ball of the hammer into the floor, then moved to distract the ape while Ember still approached.

A crater appeared in front of her when the free hammer carved the furrow not two feet from her feet. Snarling, she darted forward and slashed at its legs. Her attacks did little to do actual harm, but it did force it to lift into the air, hopping away and howling in pain as she stabbed it in the foot. Ember appeared behind its head, and she winked before bringong both paws up to smash on its head. Briefly before it fell, its eyes rolled to the back of its head.

Ember tried to leap off its back, but her back leg was caught in the shoulder guard. She was jolted loose when it landed– only to crash down onto the now fused hammer jutting out of the ground. There was an audible crunch, and she slid, unconcious, to the floor beneath the giant's head.

Cynder, who hadn't seen the fall, rushed forward to slit the throat of the commander before it got back up. Just as she dropped from the creature's neck, the stone slab that had once been a door crumbled inward. They all paused when they saw what had been faced down, but for some reason snapped back into agression.

Cynder vaguely heard the call, "Dreadwing!" before she felt teeth and claws tear into her side. She dropped to the ground, dazed, and looked to her side.

"No!" she gasped. She began to pass out, her vision wavering, but she saw a bright blast of ice freeze the dreadwing solid. The last thing she saw was the dreadwing shattering. Then everything went black.

*end flashback*

"The fight roused much of the temple; it's surprising that you didn't hear anything. But Ember and Cynder saved us, that much is certain." Ignitus concluded, then added hopefully, "And it's expected that Ember will not scar at all, but Cynder's side will be harder to heal. It's a wound down to the bone, and the damage you can see is what is left after all of the healing gems we had were used up to keep Ember's ribs from puncturing her lungs, repairing those caved in ribs, and stopping Cynder's bleeding and returning blood to her system.

"We need more gems, Spyro. Its the only way to have them make a full recovery. And they're not even the end of our problems. There are dozens of other dragons who are in critical condition, the only gems anywhere nearby are guarded by enemies, and even then, none of them could be broken or we wouldn't have enough for them to heal correctly."

"Well, where are they then? Point me in the right direction an-"

"And WE will go get them." Flame finished, adding himself to the equation.

Spyro began a heated but quiet argument with Flame.

Spyro: what are you doing?

Flame: someone I care about was hurt too, you know.

Spyro: I don't think you are getting my point. If it were safe, they would have gotten the gems already. And who is it you care about so much.

Flame: obviously, the only other dragon who's hurt that badly.

Spyro: mhh...fine.

And with that, their talk came to a close. Ignitus smiled, then said, "If you two are done arguing, you could both go, yes, but only because we need ALL of the gems to treat them. Your location is Concurrent Skies, just outside of Cynder's old fortress. Best of luck to you both."And that was that.

Flame looked at Spyro, a touch of fear in his eyes.

"Concurrent Skies?"

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Another revised chapter by Drakonseye.


	4. Chapter 4

[REVISED]

It's come up in a review a few times that Ignitus should be dead; that isn't how this story works. Ignitus was just pushed out, near dead, from the ring of fire and the old chronicler is still alive.

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Chapter 4:

Spyro and Flame flew in silence for a few hours before Spyro's irritation needed an outlet. "Why did you force yourself into my task?" He snapped.

Flame was caught off-guard by that question. "I-I just wanted t-to help you," He stammered, surprised. The shock of the question made him lose a wingbeat, and he dropped several feet before carching himself, both physically and mentally. "I came to help Ember, mostly. She ... she means everything to me, and if I lose her, I-" his voice broke.

Spyro's fury lessened. "I understand what you mean... Cynder means just as muc-" just then, a voice interrupted their conversation.

"Wait!"

Both of them looked back to see another male dragon flying toward them as fast as he could. He was an ice wyrm only a little older than Spyro, and had jagged spines that were in the shape of lightning. With pure white scales and a blue underbelly toned over well exercised muscles and powerful blue wings, he stood out from a crowd easily.

Flame was the first to break the silence. "Cyrus? Is that you?" He inquired.

"Cyrus. Frost dragon, the White Wyrm... it depends on where I go. I've been around, but I figured I could be bothered to save a few dragonesses while I was here." He blinked, realizing he was beginning to ramble. "Anyway, I tried to get here as fast as possible, but... you two are either really fast, angry, or both." Cyrus said. While he said spoke, Spyro had a chance to look him over more closely. His wings looked as though they were set a small amount wider than normal, and his shape was slightly too sinuous or curved for an ordinary dragon. Perhaps a different race?

"Are you a wyvern?" Spyro inquired. It was the only possibility; the body shape was similar only to theirs and the only other known "draconic" species in the realms.

"Half-wyvern. I ah, wasn't really supposed to be born. Cross-species breeding like me has never happened before. And..." –he shut his mouth then, but still continued– "I'm pretty unpredictable."

Just then, Flame interrupted the greetings. "Hey! You never said you could do that." He said accusingly." And last time we met up, you said that you would tell me about all of the changes you had as a half-breed."

Cyrus smirked. "I didn't really have a chance, now did I? I just got back here." He faltered for a moment, then restablized.

He whipped forward, calling behind him as they continued on their way, "Well, are we going to save your girls or not?"

Spyro berated himself for forgetting their point. If he couldn't even remember to save Cynder, what would he do if... no, he couldn't think that way.

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So, there's the new character Cyrus. He'll be back... very, very soon. Anyway, another chapter by Drakonseye.


	5. Chapter 5

[REVISED]

Chapter 5: recovery team one

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The three young dragons had flown for several hours with nothing more said, keeping to their own thoughts until Flame decided to ask about something he had heard from Spyro.

"Hey Spyro?"

"What is it?"

"I'm just wondering... what's a Shadow?"

There was a long pause. Then Spyro shuddered. "Those are some of the most unnatural enemies in existence. They only survive in shadows; that's why we travel in the day. Luckily, there're only a few packs of them, and those only kill what threatens them."

"So what happened?" Flame asked, sensing a story coming on.

"Well... Cynder and I were after the last group of Grublins during the Warfang attack a few months back. They had somehow managed to lose us in the catacombs, and had run into the one shadow in the lowest levels. When we got there... well, let's just say it was a crime scene.

"There were about forty of them in the group that had run away. By the time we fought our way down there, there was one left. It was a difficult task, deciphering what exactly the Shadow had done to the Grublins. At first, it looked like most of them had exploded. There were limbs everywhere, and bits on the ceiling too. But if you inspected it more closely, you could see thin threads of... well, it was disgusting. They had been sliced and whipped to pieces.

"The last surviving Grublin was backed into a corner, and there was this hunched, wretched cloaked creature over it- sort of like a cheetah in form, but more tentacle than body. Right before our eyes, that thing turned and incinerated the Grublin with a sear of dark fire. Then it went after us."

After an uncomfortable silence, Flame asked, "So how did you kill it?"

"We didn't. We barely surveyed the scene, then left after it almost sliced us in half. Looked to have acid, too." He shuddered again. "Luckily, it went back to the spirit gem it was guarding. They're attracted to power."

"Like health gems?" Flame said.

"Yeah. To them, if it heals you, it's even more valuable. Which is why we've got to be prepared– there's probably an entire pack of them; the only things we have on our side are surprise– which is useless, since they are never very startled –and their weakness to light– also useless, because they're under a city-sized cloud."

"Couldn't you just hit them with lightbreath?" Cyrus suggested, speaking for the first time after arrival.

Spyro nodded, the action shaking throughout his body as he flew. "But there's a problem with that, too. For one, I don't really know how to use it, and for another thing it would take about enough power for about... two heavy furies?"

Just then, Flame had a moment of inspiration. "You said Concurrent Skies is shrouded under clouds?" At Spyro's nod, he went on. "Then can't we just burn through that layer and the sun will do the rest?"

They stopped at the edge of the cloud. "That could work... let's find the gems first though."

Feeling left out, Cyrus inquired, "If it's all about fiery dragons, what am I gonna do? Its not like I'll be able to suddenly switch who I am..."

"We could use a fury, and you could provide some of the power to execute the maneuver. Flame will have to do it though, because Time takes a lot of power to use, and knowing our luck, we'll need insurance."

Flame broke in. "So, I'm going to perform a Fire Fury with Cyrus' power, and we get in to take back the gems. Spyro cuts the gems out with his Earth power, and to get out, we..."

"Improvise, but only if the Shadows don't die. The sun SHOULD kill them pretty quickly." Spyro summarized their strategy while beginning to fly under the thunderhead. "Now let's go."

*midday ( twelve o'clock noon )*

It had taken them the entire morning to locate the gems, and that task had been wrought with danger, too– Flame now had a burn on his shoulder where he had flown too low and one of a suspected five Shadows had taken a whip at him with an acidic touch. Then, after flying above the canopy, their plan was about to come into motion.

"Now!"

Cyrus turned to Flame, using an uncommon but effective transfer of energy to charge Flame for the fury manuever. After the transfer was complete, Flame dropped into the cloud, already wreathed in a volatile gout of fire. He flew into the cloud's center. There was a momentary red flash, a soft upheaval in the cloud, and then it evaporated.

Cyrus and Spyro flew down, accompanied by the now tired Flame. They were forced to dodge shots of acid from their now besieged foes, and Spyro had to– more than once –loop them through small segments of time in order to keep them alive.

They reached the gems in what was seconds to Cyrus and Flame, and several minutes to Spyro. Dropping to the floor, he quickly lanced aclaw in earth energies and cleaved the entire gem stub from the ground, then divided it into thirds.

"Flame! Cyrus! Retreat!" Spyro shouted over the agonized shrieks of the dying Shadows. Each dragon snatched the clusters and flew away. As they left through the opening, Spyro realized the reason why the Shadows were acting so panicked. The crystals outside Cynder's fortress that were hit by light were refracting it, allowing it to spread and kill them even under the cloud canopy.

The flight back was long and tiring. The three drakes were forced to take several rests, mainly from Spyro and Flame's exhaustion and the hole that had been seared in Cyrus' side from a shot that had been unavoidable.

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Author's notes: nothing new here, just enjoying vacation. Anyway, chapter updates slightly delayed. Drakonseye, signing off.


	6. Chapter 6

[REVISED]

Chapter 6

Spyro, Flame, and Cyrus rushed the flight back to the temple by the next morning. They were surprised by a number of things; the first was that Ignitus was already inside the infirmary, pacing, and the second was that there wasn't a single other being in the temple now, save for the elders and the two injured dragonesses.

"What's going on?" Spyro asked confusedly. "Shouldn't there be other dragons in here?" He paced around, searching for someone... anyone really, with medical practice.

"Normally, there would be, but these two are the only ones left unhealed. They didnt think you would manage to get the gems in time." He gave them an appraising glance, but didn't stop pacing. "Well done on that part, by the way."

"Well, lets get the healers in here to help them," Spyro declared while heading for the door.

"It's not that simple, Spyro."

He stopped. "What? You said we had what we needed. Why shouldn't they come back?"

Ignitus walked over to him. "Did you notice how many of the injured are left in the Temple? None. The medics had concluded that they couldn't save these two from any other permanent damage, so they took their patients and moved to Warfang." He ended on the last note angrily.

"Seems kind of ungrateful to leave these two after they were left for dead by the attacking group they alerted us to." Flame commented distractedly from the back of the room, inspecting what was left of Ember's wounds.

Spyro flexed his wings, both helpless and frustrated at the same time. "Do you know what to do? How does that operation go?"

"Well, it's not so much an operation as simply having them break the gems, like you normally would to heal. Unfortunately, both of them are still unconscious and they're getting worse. After being hit so hard on the head, Ember could be in a coma by tomorrow. So we've got to do it now."

"We could drop the gems onto them from a height onto the ground by them. That could break them for them." That was Cyrus' first word spoken since their rushing into the room.

"Why does everyone have good ideas except for me?" Spyro wondered, shaking his head.

"That could work, but its possible that those pieces would just go back to you. Then we'd have even more of a problem." Ignitus commented drily.

"But they never went anywhere when I killed the enemies with them..." Spyro objected, " if they were close enough, and they're definitely injured, the gems would heal them."

Flame, who had finished inspecting Ember's wounds, had been watching the proceedings in irritation for a long while. Then he burst out, "Then we try one gem with both of them laying beside it. If it works, we use the rest of them. Deal?" He finished on a note that dared anyone to argue.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Alright! Sending down the gem!" Cyrus shouted while the rest looked on anxiously, Spyro hoping that it didn't hit Cynder and Flame worrying the same, if for Ember. The gem hurtled toward the target painted on the ground, steadied by the meager wind power Spyro had learned from Cynder. It smashed on the ground, instantly fracturing into hundreds of shards and releasing a red mist- just what they had hoped would happen.

Gems flew to the two injured dragonesses, melting into their wounds. Spyro watched as Cynder's side began to knit itself back together, but started in horror when it stopped healing and began to bleed.

He flew over to where the other gems were gathered, then flew up and smashed them into the ground in between the two. Cynder's wounds had closed, and Ember's side was slowly resembling normalcy. Finally, the red mist that had hovered over them from the process seeped into their lungs and they began to stir for the first time in months.

Cynder tried to sit up, her eyes bleary and her legs unsteady, not unlike a newborn hatchling, then lay back down with an unintelligible mumble to a natural sleep. Spyro lifted Cynder onto his back and carried her to her room. He laid Cynder down on the bed, then watched an unnecessary guard while she slept. "Rest now, you're safe," he murmured, then lay on the nearby cot, resting his head while still guarding.

At the same time, Flame had been pacing worriedly, waiting for Ember to wake up. After about ten minutes, he looked away, then said to Ignitus, "What if she doesn't wake up?" There was raw fear in his voice at the thought that that could happen.

Cyrus stood up. "I think I'll go check in with Cyril... maybe he can help me with something." His point made, he quietly excused himself from the chamber.

Ignitus was about to reply to the heartfelt worry in the young drake's voice when he picked up movement behind Flame. Ember was sitting up, even if slowly. Then he smiled. "I don't think that will be a problem, Flame. She just answered that for you. Why don'-" Just then he was interrupted by Ember.

"Wh-who are you?" Ember said. "Please, I-I'll do anything! Just don't hurt me!" She curled herself away from the two drakes.

Flame and Ignitus exchanged a quick glance, then Flame said, "You mean you don't remember us? Don't remember me?"

"What? No, I don't belong here! I'm supposed to be... to be... somewhere. What did you do to me?" Ember had begun with a scathing tone which had quickly turned to panic. Then she backed toward the open balcony, thinking to run from the room, to put as much space between herself and her "captors".

"No! Don't leave the Temple, Ember," Flame oddered in a voice that was filled with a concerned panic and a pain that she wouldn't come back.

"Ember? Who's that?" She said, and stopped, the tone of his voice and her curiosity to know something, anything, lessening her fright. "Is that who you're looking for? Is that why I'm here?" She asked them, not knowing what had happened, who she was, or where. Then her face contorted in pain, and her jaw opened in a soundless wail as her side jolted violently, her ribs obviously not quite settled yet.

"That's you, Ember. We were attacked. Your side was crushed, and you were hit on the side of your head hard enough to give you a concussion. Your memory should return in time." Ignitus said gently, having been hit hard before, when he had been young. "But until then, you should not go anywhere. You are still healing."

"You are among friends... especially the ones that live here." Flame added, feeling that she might have been more afraid than she had let on.

Ember's voice instantly turned back to suspicion. "If that's true, then where's my room? Where do the rest of you sleep?"

"It's over here." Flame answered, gesturing toward the hallway where they had been sleeping. Then he turned, subtly inviting her to walk with him. She did, brushing up against him as she strode by. "Come on then... we're going to my place."

"Uh..." Flame couldn't think of a response to an amnesiac dragoness making jokes about mating with him. Even if he wanted her in that way in his right mind, he felt it would be wrong to take advantage of her in that state. "Look, I do like you. A lot. But I don't think that you should do... or 'do' something you might regret. You just need to get a good night's rest, and you'll feel better in the morning."

"Oh... are you gay, then?"

"NO! I'm not gay. I just said I like you... at least, when you remember me. I hope you remember this comment, because you are the one dragon that I'm sure I wouldn't be able to live without." Flame said, beginning vehemently but softening to complete honesty. "Now come on, we've got to get to your room-" Ember smirked. "To sleep!" He snapped, his patience worn thin from stress, worry, and exhaustion. He had flown for miles, fought off a deadly enemy, flown back, and done it without food. As soon as Ember was asleep, he was either resting for himself or eating a veritable banquet.

As they neared the room, he heard the heavy breathing of sleeping, then remembered that both Cynder and Ember had slept in the same room.

Flame said, "Ember, you have a roommate... she was hurt just about as badly as you. She's asleep right now, but you need to not bug her, okay?"

Ember sounded disappointed when she heard the second half of the statement, but merely nodded her head in acceptance.

Acknowledging her answer, Flame opened the door to admit Ember into the room. As they walked to the beds, Ember let out a scream that roused Cynder and also Spyro, who had fallen asleep on watch.

"Get h-her away from me!" she screamed, backing away from Cynder like she was a nightmare. "I knew you weren't my allies! You're not having me as a slave!"

"Ember, what are you- ohhh..." Flame said, trailing off the end of the sentence with a terrible realization. "You think she's evil, don't you?"

Ember nodded frantically. "She killed my family." She went on bitterly. "The first thing I remember, and it's horrible..." She moaned miserably, shaking with the remembrance of nightmares past. "I can't sleep here," she whispered, backing into the corner and looking for the door.

"Okay, but the only other open space that's ready is my room." Flame said, and Spyro didn't agree.

"But that's where I sleep, too! Are you just kicking me out?" Spyro demanded, indignant that his bed would be stolen.

"Look, since it looks like you moved in with Cynder and Ember won't go near Cynder-" (she hung her head miserably) "and I'll need to watch over her, we can just switch you out." Flame finished, feeling he had a solid point.

"Alright, just don't break my stuff." Spyro warned, secretly pleased with the new arrangements.

Flame led Ember to his quarters, where Ember paused. Pain was still visible in the way she was walking, the look in her eyes, the slumped posture. It looked as though someone had sucked the life out of her.

"Ohhh... " moaned Ember. "I feel terrible... how was it that I apparently became roommates with that thing?" She sain the last word with anger, as though the pain was her purpose.

"Ember, the Dark Master was killed almost four months ago. Guess who killed him." Flame said in exasperation.

"The Dark Master? Who's that?" Ember said, confused about events that she had forgotten. "The only terrible creature I know of is Her."

'Okay, Flame, think," Flame thought to himself. 'Seeing Cynder triggered memories, so maybe names will help her, too." Then he said aloud, "Does the name 'Malefor' mean anything to you?"

"Who- " Ember's eyes glazed over. Her knees buckled and she started to fall, but Flame saw it coming and caught her. "I think that's enough saddening questions for today," she said weakly, tears forming in her eyes.

'Apparently some words bring back the bad memories,' Flame thought.' I'll have to be more careful about what I say.'

Flame lay down Ember on Spyro's bed, then went over to his own and tried to fall asleep. But when he heard quiet sobs coming from Ember, he knew that he couldn't just leave her there in her sorrow.

Exchanging the warmth of his sheets for Ember's bed, Flame walked over to her curled up form and lay down next to her, covering her with a wing and whispering quiet reassurances in her ear. Eventually, she settled down, Flame sleeping at her side.

*****Author's notes*****

Chapter summary: Ember and Cynder are healed, but Ember has amnesia. Seeing Cynder causes her to relive tragic events, and Flame comforts her.

So, what do you think? With Ember in fear of Cynder, how will Flame interact with each other, since both dragonesses need recuperation time? And how will Cynder take this?


	7. Chapter 7

For the most part, this chapter is to relax, catch up with Spyro.

Disclaimer: I dont own anybody who's not mine.

Chapter 7: The next morning

Flame woke the next morning, his wings still sore and his heart heavy that Ember was still unable to remember him. She was on the other side of the bed, dozing lightly, so he padded out to where the balcony was, looking out to the skies as if they held the answers.

Ignitus had been dozing on the balcony, only to be awoken by Flame. The Fire guardian had been looking forward to this day, as the other elders had been on a vacation as soon as Spyro and Cynder had returned.

"Is everything all right, young one?" Ignitus said, addressing Flame the same way he did Spyro occasionally. "You don't look like you got any rest."

"That's because I didn't. The only reason I'm up is for food. And... Ember still doesn't know anybody. Seeing Cynder only made her get bad memories... and I think Malefor did something horrible to her old home. I'll have to ask her," Flame said, feeling better after admitting his worries.

Ignitus looked behind Flame, noticing the approach of three dragons, one blue, one yellow (who couldn't be quiet), and one green, both first and last fed up with the second.

***back to Cynder's room***

Cynder had woken up the next morning to find herself wrapped around Spyro, with his wings embracing her and vice versa.

A blush unknowingly crept onto her face, even if nobody could tell. Even though they were partners, she and Spyro hadn't been physical, so the tangle-up was ahead of her schedule. She did have plans... but maybe when she was ready.

Trying to move away was unsuccessful. The moment she moved away, Spyro gripped her more tightly, then he yawned, opening his eyes.

The moment he realized what he was holding, Spyro let her go. His face had gone red as well, redder than Flame's was normally. Then he simply said, "Should we get some breakfast?"

Looking the other way awkwardly, Cynder replied, "I guess so. And Spyro?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not in trouble. 'That' was just fine," she said shyly. "It felt right, you know?"

"Oh... okay. Just wake me if it's too much for you." said Spyro, relieved she felt the same way he did.

The two walked to the doorway, then Spyro stopped Cynder from stepping into two platters of berries, one with a side of flamebreath roasted waterfowl and the other with a slightly frosted nectar like substance in it.

"Wha..." Spyro started to say before Cyrus chimed in from the adjacent room, "Eat up, lovebirds."

Spyro turned to him, then gaped in astonishment as Cyrus picked up an entire bird (were they ducks?) and ate it in one bite, raw, feathered, and all. Then he smirked.

While Cynder looked for somewhere to be sick, Spyro said, "It's not that, I've eaten whole ducks too, it's just... where did you get the ducks? And how did you know what we wanted?"

"Cyril, Volteer, and Terrador arrived this morning, brought back waterfowl, and seeing as you two were so comfortable" he smirked again "I took the liberty to get you your breakfast. I asked Volteer what you wanted." His smirk turned into a grimace. "Big mistake. Unless you want to hear just about the entire history of not only ducks, but also berries and sugary drink-type items, never, I repeat, NEVER ask Volteer what to get for breakfast."

Cynder returned from their room to find Spyro waiting for her just inside, adding a few spices to the duck and setting bowls of water by their foods.

Cynder was amazed. Where had he gotten water? Well, it turned out that he had accidentally shot icebreath into a bowl, filling it with snow. He had planned to fly to the nearby river when- voila- instant water, with minimal power drain.

"Just don't accidentally shoot icebreath a me," Cynder warned him after hearing his story. Then she fell silent, as both dug into their food.

Spyro choked on a bone in the bird, having only had duck a few times in his still relatively short life. Cynder snorted in amusement, but doing so shot her water up her nose. Then both were rolling aroumd, laughing both at each other and at themselves. After about twenty minutes, they had calmed down to finish their food. Cynder looked across the empty plates and said "Thanks, Spyro" very softly.

"Cyrus brought the food," he whispered back. "Shouldn't we thank him imstead?"

The white wyrm in question was walking down the hall, feeling slightly depressed. Seeing Spyro and Cynder so close had brought up buried had someone to fall for before Malefor had happened. But her fate had been of a different path. She to another life, him to continue on. Life was cruel that way.

His sadness was interrupted be a panic-stricken Flame dashing up to him, asking, "Where's Ember? I can't find her anywhere."

Abstractedly he replied, "Saw her head to the balcony... she was getting food. I think."

"Well I hope she gets back safe. The last thing she needs is another injury," he joked, trying to cheer himself up more than anything.

***three hours later***

Ember returned from her expedition beaten, bruised, and exhausted. She had stumbled upon a large group of deer, and after catching and eating part of one (a bear had come along, and she gave it the rest), tried to remember where the Temple was.

She had to walk home. On the exit from the forest, she had tried to fly through the canopy, jarring both wings to uselessness. She then wandered for miles, found the edge of the forest, and proceeded to meander her way up the several mile long passage to the main gates. It was tiring.

There was no rest in sight, however, as a group of dreadwing riding apes appeared over the horizon, chasing what appeared to be- a griffin? No, those had gone extinct millennia ago. Still, as the shape came closer, it was the only explanation.

A dreadwing launched a sonic attack at its prey, and, with the hit a success, sent it spiraling towards the roof.

As if it were safe, the griffin dove toward the window nearby. A crash was heard inside. Then silence.

*author's notes*

So, if griffins died out, what was crashed through the wall?

Additionally, this chapter included a slow-down, just to keep the future chapters better-flowing.

Last but not least, I thank those that have reviewed chapters, allowing for improvement.

Drakonseye, signing off.


	8. Chapter 8

The answer to the hole in the wall has arrived!

Obligatory disclaimer: I don't own anybody who's not mine.

Chapter 8: what are you?

When Spyro arrived at the large hole crashed into the wall, there was nothing to provide any ideas on what it had been. There was a door open, presumably where the door had been forced open by the wind. On a closer inspection, he saw that there was a patch of tawny colored feathers undernearh the rubble, as well as a few shreds of fabric, probably from a cloak. There was also a blood trail out a door, leading to several rooms and to their storage areas, but only one trail hadn't dried out at that point...

Spyro crept over the where the door was slightly cracked open, shallow breathing escaping. As he got closer, it went silent. All of a sudden, Spyro heard-

"Find anything?" Flame had walked in the side door, closing it behind him.

"Get down!" Spyro hissed. "There's someone in there."

Flame whispered back, "That's impossible. Only a god would-"

Spyro waited. But Flame stood there, jaw open, eyes glassed over, breathing halted. So someone had stopped time...

Spyro spun around. The storage door was open, and movement registered in the corner of his eye. Coming to a halt, Spyro saw what was causing the time-freeze.

She looked somewhat like their cheetah ally Hunter, with the same basic bodily structure. But most comparisons ended there. On the visible area of her body (which was most of it) were small, brownish tanned fearhers, with a strip of feathers running up her arms that were a darker brown. She had the ragged remains of most of a top piece on, shredded cloak remains, and equally shredded pants. Each was covered by powdered dust, likely from the wall. As he inspected her face, Spyro could come up with two words to describe her:

Beautiful and terrifying.

She had golden eyes, which were filled with a shattered look, like she had seen how the world would end, but was unable to tell anybody. Her face was much like a dragon's, but with a short, sharp beak, and feathers much like the ones on her arms making it look like she had hair.

The terrifying aspect of the... Spyro decided to call it a griffin, at least just then, was the fact that she had a knife to Flame's throat, and it looked vicious, like it had tasted blood and grown hungry and become sharper for it.

Spyro was frozen, indecision staying his feet as much as shock did.

"Why shouldn't I, dragon?" The Griffin inquired threateningly.

Those words unfroze him. "Wait! We're not your enemy. You were struck down by dreadwings."

"So? I don't know you're not my enemy. And I know I have enemies."

"You do realize that me not being affected by the Time flow means I'm a purple dragon?" Spyro challenged, thinking she would be less wary after the statement.

"That's what Malefor said, too. Then he began firing on our last village. So, dragon, what makes you so much better?" The Griffin said, daring him to answer.

"You want that answered, yet I want my friend to be let go first. So you get an answer, Flame keeps his head- literally..."

The Griffin pondered this for a moment... if the dragon was an enemy, she could still dash over to cut his throat. And if not...

"You've got a deal, dragon." She said, lowering the blade and walking casually away from the still immobilized red wyrm. Then she asked, "So, why should I believe you?"

Spyro took a deep breath, then began his story. "It all started fifteen years ago, the Year of the Dragon. Nearly all of the dragon eggs had been stored in this temple, as we were at war. On one night, an ape called Gaul raided this temple with a massive army..."

***Author's notes***

This chapter will quickly be followed by the next, to explain the Griffin's story. Again, thanks go out to those who review the story.

Until next time, this is Drakonseye signing off.


	9. Chapter 9

So, the last chapter had Time being stopped and the Griffin holding Flame at knifepoint. Nice.

Chapter 9: tests of resolve

"And the last thing before a mad race to the rapidly closing surface I heard was Cynder whispering, "I love you. A few months, and here we are." Spyro finished, his story finally finished after a few hours in the Time-freeze. "So what's your story? I told you my entire life, and I think it's time you told me yours."

The Griffin approved of the character that stood in front of her. A little open about his feelings and life, but overall a strong companion. Maybe she wasn't being pursued...

"You want to know my story, dragon? You wouldn't have enough time left in your life, even for only the important events." said the Griffin. "I am like most Griffins- nearly as old as the world. But perhaps..."

She strode forward, her hand reaching toward Spyro's forehead. As she did so, her hand began sparking with a faintly pulsing teal color.

"I shall only give you the past twenty years of my life, dragon. The rest will have to be trust. You will be reliving what I have already been through... but you will not be hurt." she said reassuringly, seeing Spyro back away in caution.

She touched his head with a swift force, as though she didn't want to do it, and the last thing Spyro heard was the Griffin whispering, "My name is Shara..." Then he saw and heard no more.

*author's notes*

Next chapter up as soon as possible. Stay sharp, alert.

Drakonseye, signing off.


	10. Chapter 10

Spyro is reliving Griffin Shara's past, in a way that puts him literally in her experience. Shara hopes to reduce suspicion by doing so.

I think I forgot a disclaimer recently... but I only own Cyrus and Shara.

Also: chapter 10 hooray! A lot of good stories go away from no reviews. I'd like to thank those who do review.

Chapter 10: strange recollections

****midday (in memory)****

Spyro was unsure how he had arrived at the burnt ground he had been on. After choosing a direction and starting off, he realized he had no recent memory... just saving the world, then... now.

Walking beside him was a Griffin, Shara by name. He had found her, walking the same direction as him... and she was unable to acknowledge his existence. He tried to push her, only to fall through her as though she... no, he were a ghost.

Burn turned to grasslands, and Spyro was amazed at the beauty of the unknown landscape. It was much the same as the valley of Avalar, with green foliage sprouting from horizon to horizon. Then he saw her destination, a village in the middle of the area.

The front gate opened, admitting Shara through to the area. A young male greeted her as she strode forward.

"Shara, where were you? The elders had us looking all over for you. Our first visitor in a while and you are away hunting?" The male asked.

"Niko, you know very well that we need supplies. The animals are restless, and it's almost winter, and having our land burnt doesn't help..."

Niko snarled. "Whoever did that should be killed. Everything depends on the earth. And they go to burn it."

"So, who visits us this time? We're out in the middle of nowhere - only dragons know where we are, and nobody has visited us in centuries." Shara queried, having been surprised about a visitor.

"Says his name is Malefor... I don't know, he seems strange, but it must be me. He's a purple dragon, so he must be here to help us, right?" Niko said hopefully. "I mean, what's the worst that can happen?"

****nighttime****

Shara was exhausted. The village had thrown a party for Malefor, celebrating the purple dragon's unexpected visit. It had seemed to her that nobody besides herself and Niko had noticed that Malefor had only drunk the samples of ale or wine given to him, and all others had become increasingly inebriated. She too had the least possible amount, but she suspected she would have a hangover the next morning. As she made her way to her house, swaying with every step, she realized she was locked out- again. Groaning at her misfortune, she made her way to Niko's house, walking in the broken door and across the shattered glass and not acknowledging the damage was there...

Shara stumbled into the main room, lights off, unsteady from her partying." Niko! I'm using the spare keys, and I'll be right back." Shara called, receiving no response. Grabbing her keys, she turned to leave.

As she struggled her way down the few steps (they're troublesome when drunk) she heard a rustle of a large animal to her left. She snapped her head to the side, instantly wary, alcohol burned away by the startle. Suddenly, Shara was snatched into the bush by... Niko.

Shara punched him in the chest for spite. "Damn it Niko, why do you have to do that? You know I hate it."

"Ouch." He said, being nice. He had a very solid chest.

Shara glared at him."Why.. did.. you.. pull me.. into the bush." She said through gritted teeth.

"Oh! Right. Look, everyone is wary of Malefor. But we've just got to keep on watch, and he can't do anything." was the cheerful response Shara recieved. It seemed like Niko was trying to convince himself, too.

Shara snorted. "Even we couldn't stop him, Niko. Our race depends on our survival, since the rest warred with themselves, remember?"

"We're also able to wield our opponent's elements, or did you forget THAT?" Niko countered. "Look, just accept that Malefor isn't getting the jump on us."

"I hope so," Shara muttered under her breath.

Niko's gaze softened. "Just go. Act normal when you get home. And don't worry if I'm not here tomorrow. I'm going hunting."

"Alright then, see you tomorrow evening. " Shara called over her shoulder as she left.

Niko turned to his broken entrance. Partying could do hell to one's house...

****morning *** (Griffin council chambers)

Malefor could admit that the Griffins had power... but he knew he had so much more. The fools had cut themselves off from the world to try healing the last remnants of their race, and given Malefor the chance to completely immobilise their group. He had tried to keep his armies back away from them until he was sure the Griffins wouldn't help them. He had a miscommunication once, and a field was burned. Now that he was sure they were not controllable, his armies had free rein... but back to the present.

"Dragon Malefor, despite your supposedly great need to access the libraries of our histories and learn our powers, you have not shown us proof that Dragonkind is in great danger. If this were true, would not you still be a combatant on the front line? Furthermore, even if you were to access our knowledge, it would be near impossible for you to understand and completely impossible for you to harness its power. Your request for our council for this reason has been denied.

Sincerely,

High council to Griffin village of Denwood"

Malefor snarled as he turned away from the magical receptacle which floated to block his entry to the door. In a fit of rage most unlike the guise he had come in, he spun around to smash the poor orb into the wall. The orb let out a sad shriek before vanishing into a puff of smoke. He had hoped to preserve their knowledge before they were completely destroyed. But since they denied him at every chance, they would be utterly gone.

****With Shara ****

Shara started in horror as Malefor flung the receptacle into the wall. This certainly wasn't the dragon they had let into their village! This was a maniac! The village had to be warned!

As these thoughts raced through her head, Malefor's gaze snapped to her hovering form, turning from anger to rage to a mask of calm. Then he walked away, acting as though she didn't exist. Shara hovered in place a slight longer, then flew down to the citadel-size doors behind which the elders resided.

The doors, enchanted to sense urgent need, opened to admit Shara in much the same fashion as she had been welcomed at the front gate. She winged her way through the corridor, flying at breakneck speed through the structure. She saw her destination ahead- a door carved with ornate symbols, each a ward to keep out dangers.

Shara burst through the doors as fast as they would allow, then was forced to take gasping breaths to regain the lost air to her lungs. The elder's council, obviously roused by her arrival, stood and took their places on council, then awaited her announcement.

After Shara regained her breath, she delivered a bold announcement.

"The purple dragon Malefor will destroy us all!"

The elders frowned. Surely the individual standing before them was playing a joke? It couldn't be true. But the doors had admitted her, so she must be convinced it was.

One of the elders stepped forward- the elder responsible for the interpretation of their visitors. "Shara, what makes you believe he will destroy us? He has shown no indication of violence, why should he start to now?"

Shara's heart sank. "You don't believe me," she muttered. "None of you do. But if you want proof, observe the orb you set to send denial messages to those who want your council- or rather, what's left of it."

The elders debated for a moment before the Speaker announced their answer. "Shara, we've told many people- including you- that those cannot be broken or even scratched by anything except the strongest of individuals that exist on this plane of existence."

"All it will take is for you to look outside. You literally can't miss it! It's a smoking wreck!"

"Shara! This council has already announced its answer to this point. Unless you have more evidence against Malefor, your case is to be remo-" the speaker was interrupted by a whelp, barely able to talk, shuffling toward the discussion.

The whelp stammered when inquired, "T-the orb you put outside broke. My daddy told me to come in and tell you." Then, with his message conveyed, he ran back out the room with haste.

Shara turned back to the council, a faint smirk glimmering through her guise. "So, should I show you where it is?"

****Malefor's flat****

Malefor had been sleeping quite soundly when he was rudely awakened by another messenger orb falling onto him. It dropped a paper on his bed, then backtracked out of its window.

It read:

To the dragon Malefor

You have been given this notice

for the destruction of our village's

property. You must now leave our

territory within the next day or you

will be treated as an enemy of our

village. If a guide is needed, we will

point you in the correct direction.

Signed,

High Griffin council of

Denwood

Malefor had expected the notice by the next day- it must have been the female hovering over his back. Since it was clear that their information could not be saved, his armies would attack the next morning...

****back to Shara****

Shara awoke the next morning to the smell of fire and to the shriek of a female Griffin. Shaking her head to clear the morning fog out of her head, she began to sit up when a heavy weight fell from the sky onto her. It was a Griffin- dead. Its wings and neck broken, feathers seared and chest scored by massive claws- those of a dragon.

Shara let out a scream, working frantically to move the dead body off of her own. Freeing herself, she began to set the body to a respectable pose. Having that grisly work finished, she spoke a few words of her race's ancient language, causing the body to dissolve, its essence preserved and the soul given a chance to return to part with its family at a later time. Then, gazing above to the hole in her roof, she saw what she had feared was happening.

Malefor was slaughtering her kind with ease, absorbing the elements projected at him by her kin. His hide pulsed with a sickly shadowy overcoat, eyes pure white, Convexity pouring from his maw to eat at flesh. He let out another wave of power. Four more of her kind fell.

Preparing to join the battle, Shara saw the nightmare she had dreamt recently... Niko fell from the sky, a gaping hole torn in his right lung and the left wing stripped of all skin and muscle. Shara felt for the element she needed from Malefor... yes! Time was hers! Activating the power, everything she chose to freeze froze, those things being Niko and Malefor himself. Her kinsmen she left unfrozen, so as to allow them to flay the murderous wyrm. Placing herself under Niko, Shara cast a spell to freeze his vitals, then cast the same spell for the dead Griffin on him as well (he was alive, so the counterspell would return him to normal).

Burden safely pocketed, Shara let Time slip from her grasp, then observed what was left of Malefor.

His shadow layer was shredded, real cuts showing and pain soon to register on his face. Time slowly unfroze for him, and agony awaited him.

Malefor screamed in shock as he suddenly found himself nearly dead. Winging himself away from his enemies, Malefor cursed his opponent for her cleverness.

He met up with his forces on his path, leaving them to destroy the village. They were surprised to find their leader flayed open like a choice cut of meat, but what skill could not do, surely force could, right?

****midday****

Shara had healed many a broken limb, punctured lung, and cut flesh that day. But all who were left assured her that even her magical prowess would not save Niko.

Niko... what would she do without him? He had been her only friend for the longest time, and recently much more... she owed him her life. She had to save him. With that course in mind, Shara set off to find a fix to help her friend.

She was stopped at the front gate by the council. Judging by the looks on their faces, they weren't about to let their best healer leave them.

"Shara, we don't approve of your action. Because of this, we have placed new wards- if anyone leaves without permission, they will never find their was back. Our village will be rendered invisible, its location will shift away from searchers... you won't come back. Does this mean so much to you to leave your life behind?"

Body and mind set, Shara replied, "If I don't go, I will never forgive myself... to leave someone as an ball of essence would be torture and I can't bring myself to kill Niko. I have to go."

The council members regarded her sadly as she swiftly winged her way out of sight. She would be missed...

***Ten years later***

"Hmm... yes, this will do," Shara murmured to herself. She had found a cave in which she would rest overnight.

The flock of dreadwimgs stirred. Food? Had a meal wandered into their home? Not normal food. New food they would eat without hesitation. Food!

***Twenty years later***

Shara was desperate. She had found no success in her travels as of yet and was still pursued by a flock of wild dreadwings. There was a temple ahead, and she would have to find shelter soon. Ten years of running from dreadwings had provided little rest. Shara felt certain she would go insane without rest. Yes. She would enter, sleep the day off, eat, then run again... wait, there was movement... civilization, and all of its glory!

Turning to a steep descent, she dove toward an open window.

A dreadwing launched an attack.

Shara felt muscles freeze, wings curve, and saw the window to her left. She managed to look at the wall before smashed straight through.

Staggering from the rubble, Shara saw one spot to hide- a closet-type space. Limping toward her goal, she felt relieved she didn't die but wondered what would come of her arrival.

****Author's Notes****

Made this chapter long for two reasons: one is because the last chapters were so short. The other is because I didn't get a chance to update sooner. Thanks for reviews.

Drakonseye, signing off.


	11. Chapter 11

*end of memory thread*

•••switching to present time period•••

*complete*

Spyro just relived Shara's past, her exile to be exact. Back to the present.

Chapter eleven: distrust of the new

*in the present*

Spyro broke free from the contact, gasping from the feeling of twenty year's emotion in an instant. Having a sudden headache, he collapsed to the ground, time slowly resuming as it had for Malefor so long started to move again, slowly speeding up.

"be able to survive that," he finished at long last, still amazed that something was in the closet. Then he noticed Shara standing behind Spyro. "Spyro! Behind you!" He charged at Shara, his body wreathed in flames.

The attack was pointless, however. All Shara did was hold a hand out, and Flame ran straight into an invisible wall.

His flames died out. "What the-" He struck the wall again. "How-" He breathed flames over it. "But..."

Shara smirked. "Determined, isn't he?"

Spyro replied sharply, "He's my friend. Don't be rude."

"Ooohhhkay. Now I'm confused. She just crashed through the wall, and now you two know each other? No. Spyro,what's going on?" Flame asked.

Cyrus and Cynder ran in just then. Both had the same reaction to seeing her.

"Listen... Flame, yes she's a Griffin, no Griffins aren't extinct. Yes, I do know her, but no, not until recently. She showed me the last twenty years of her life." Spyro explained, hoping he wouldn't have to elaborate.

Cyrus spoke up. "Last twenty years? She doesn't look much older than that." She is attractive, he thought.

Shara's head snapped to look straight toward him. Icy gold eyes met his own warm blue ones. "I'm spoken for." Her voice also had an icy snap to it.

His shoulders sagged.

"At least, in a way." He perked his head up.

"But you're not my type."

Spyro broke in. "Look, can we continue this later? It's getting kind of late. I think we should call it a night. Cynder, are you coming?"

Cynder frowned. "But it's only midday. Why- oh. Come on, Cyrus."

After they left, Flame turned to Shara. "You do realize that if you break that dragon's heart for a selfish reason everyone here will hate you, right?"

"What would you do to stop me?" Shara replied, challenging him for an answer. To that Flame merely shook his head.

****Evening****

Later that day, everyone was resting out on the balcony, enjoying the sunset. Ember was huddled behind Flame, in the only space away from Cynder. Spyro and Cynder were pressed against each other, enjoying the presence of the other. Last, Cyrus was as close to Shara as he could manage- which was twenty feet.

"So, Shara, where are you from?" Cynder broke the uncomfortable silence, subtly engaging everyone into their discussion. They would all want to listen.

"It's a long story. I'm from the village-" her eyes clouded over with a gray light for a moment "Denwood."

Spyro and Cynder were openly staring at her.

"What? Why are you staring at me?" Shara asked.

"It's just the gray eye thing. It's distracting." Spyro commented.

"What? I could've sworn I had fixed that. Good that their wards work. It's just a show of me retrieving memory. More accurately, the magic doing it. I had to work hard to remember that."

"Then why did I get to see your memoeies clearly, and be able to remember where your village and its people are? And another thing is that your people seem... vague by what I was shown and everyone else would surely like to hear about it."

"It's actually a mostly like what you saw. There is a group of elders to make decisions for the village and guards to... well, to guard. We had crafters and farmers. But the only thing that kept us from being destroyed by our pride and war and Malefor was the Magister's Clutch- a group of our own, delivered by an unknown group. We mastered our race's possible powers. I was one of them, an advisor to our leader." Shara puffed up with pride. "And as for knowing where they are, you will notice that as soon as you focus, you can't seem to remember where the settlement is."

Sifting through the memories Shara had given him, Spyro commented, "Okay, that's true. But possible powers? Like the preservation thing for Niko?"

Cynder was about to ask, but Cyrus beat her to it. "Who's Niko?"

Now Shara looked unsettled. Reaching toward her neck, a golden chain that hung there shimmered into existence, and on the end was a ball of swirling blue... matter, you could call it. She held the pendant out, and everyone felt a _presence_ through the area. It clawed at their minds before Shara quickly stowed the pendant back in whatever had stored it, and the presence disappeared.

"Someone from home. Saving him is the reason I'm here." Shara answered. "But back to your point, yes. The preservation is just a simple and weak spell. It would've taken days, but Malefor could've been completely obliterated."

Cyrus asked hesitantly (she had been terrible to him when he talked, but it could've been his hitting on her), "Would you be able to teach us your skill?"

Shara laughed, the sounding bitter but still amused for the first time that day. "I very much doubt you could learn, Cyrus. Our kind spent centuries mastering our skills, and you hope to learn them before Malefor returns?" Reading the shocked looks on their faces, she went on, more shocked than amused now. "You don't know, do you? That Malefor isn't going to stay locked in the world's center?"

Ember stood up, casting a wary eye toward Cynder, then back to Shara. "I'm going to go inside now," she muttered. Opening the door, she padded inside with a weight to her step. Flame rose to his feet apologetically, asking to be filled in once he could find time for the conversation. Cyrus looked around uncertainly, then also left to go with Flame.

As Flame had turned to her, Shara turned to Cynder and Spyro, a gleam in her eye that made Spyro nervous and Cynder shift uncomfortably." Does the pink one fear you?" When Cynder nodded an affirmative, she continued. "And is it an amnesiac fear? One centered on your past?"

"Yes... but how do you know about my past?" Cynder said, confused by her inquiry.

"I told her my history," Spyro reminded her.

"Back to my point. Spyro, if it's an amnesiac case, why don't you use your powers over light to return her memory?" Shara said almost angrily.

"Um... two things: I don't know how to use light, and even if I did, I dont know how to heal people with it." Spyro replied nervously.

Shara stood and threw her hands in the air. "Must I do everything myself?" she muttered in exasperation.

****Flame and Ember****

"Ember, wait!" The plaintive call from Flame stopped her in her tracks. Whipping around, she said, "What! What do you want?"

"I'm just worried about you. That Griffin says one thing about Malefor, and you run off? What happened, did you remember more?"

Ember's head dipped to the ground. "I don't want to talk about it," she muttered.

Flame padded forward to stand by her, draping his wing over her back and reassuring her simply with his presence. After a short time she began crying softly, so he led her to their room and waited for her to calm down.

"Sorry, its just that there's so much I don't remember, and everything's happening so fast... I feel like such a burden," she moaned feeling useless.

"Ember, you will never be a burden to me. As long as you're here and you don't stop me, I plan to keep you as safe as possible. I'm sure Spyro would to the same for Cynder." Flame answered gently, then added, "And it wouldn't surprise me if Cyrus did that for Shara, considering the way he look at her."

Ember chuckled weakly."I'm sorry, it's just... everything I've remembered so far seems like its for someone else... it's all the bad things. But I did remember you, at least," Ember added brightly.

"Really? That's great. What do you remember?"

"Nothing much... Okay, it's confusing. We were fighting each other, but you didn't seem to put your heart into it. Then you pulled me to the ground. I broke something, and you were just the perfect gentleman to help me recover." Ember said. "Why were we fighting? I felt like I actually hated you."

Flame replied nervously, "Um... that's because you did. For a while there when I first met you, you were the most intense ball of rage, torment, frustration, and confusion. Cyrus and I helped you become less... um.."

"Volatile? Murderous?"

"Yeah. After you learned to forgive Cynder, you mellowed out to the amazing person you were before you saved us all, fighting with Cynder." Flame said.

"You're so nice," Ember murmured. She pressed against him, and after they reached their rooms, Flame and Ember lay together, falling asleep pressed together.

****Outside****

"So, you're saying you can fix Ember's memory?" Spyro said, hopeful that they could have a more normal time. Until their next fight...

"I'm saying that there's a chance. If I do things wrong, or she moves too much, she could have the remaining memory locked away. She would stay in the state she's currently in," replied Shara, explaining for what seemed the millionth time.

"How great of a chance would there be for a failure?" asked Cyrus, worried for his friend.

"It's not large, but it's not small, either. About 75-25. But don't think about it as a quarter chance to fail," Shara said.

"Great," grumbled Spyro. "Now that's the only chance I'll think of."

"Would there be anything to make her odds better? An element, or certain skill?" Cynder asked.

"All you would need is for her to be receptive, still, and calm. The rest should take care of itself." Shara said, then added, "Or do we need to go over it again?"

"No, I think that's clear now. We hold her, you do your thing, she gets better." Cynder summarized.

"Essentially, yes. It's harder for me, but holding her still so her brains don't scramble would be your job."

Spyro stood up, then exchanged a glance with Cynder. "Well, we'll leave you two to talk, then. 'Night."

"Yeah, later." Cyrus said.

After Cynder left with Spyro in tow, Cyrus turned to Shara. "So, you never explained why I wouldn't be able to learn your powers. We've all got a spark for the arcane, don't we?"

"Look, Cyrus. Not only would it be impossible for dragons to wield our abilities, and even if you somehow did manage such a feat, you would be fighting for your body every moment of your life thereon. One wrong spell, and you would either explode or vaporize." Shara shuddered violently. "And trust me, the second is far better. You can sometimes survive with half a body after the explosion. It's terrible."

Cyrus winced. The details were terrible. But he still persisted. "What about wyverns? Those could harness power other than their own born elements, couldn't they?"

"What's a wyvern?" Shara asked. She had thought the leader of the Clutch had cataloged all species on the world, sentient or no.

"Well, we're like dragons, but wyverns have a hard to control camouflage ability, and our forelegs are more wing than leg." Cyrus said, with no stop to explain thoroughly his own inherited ties to the race.

Fortunately, Shara picked up on his use of the word 'we'. "You mean you're a wyvern?"

"Half-wyvern. I'm different- in fact, I should've never been born. Dragons and wyverns can't have children together, so I was a bit of a shock to them." Cyrus explained.

"Interesting. The amount of arcane power that would be needed to break the bonds of interspecies reproduction would be massive." was the ever-analytical response Cyrus received. "Your parents must be great mages."

Cyrus' head dropped. "They were killed in an accident. All I remember was being shipped to the nearest orphanage. Hated it so much I ran away, met a wilderness village, and never looked back at who might be looking for me. Besides, no wyverns control their magic either."

Shara frowned. This went against what the Clutchleader had been researching, that a child could be concieved if the parents of different species had enough power. Still, if he was that unique...

"Well, back to your original point. If you are up to it you may" -and she held up her arms for emphasis- "be able to learn what we would consider a low-level spell. I'll only try what you think you can accomplish."

Cyrus yawned. "Well, I guess I'll call it a night. You don't have a room, so you can share mine?" He ended his statement hopefully.

"Are you kidding? And miss this beautiful sky?" Shara gestured to the sky above her, which was a swirling nebula of greens, blues, and reds, with the moons seemingly mirrors of each other.

"No, I'll stay out here." said Shara. Then she crossed her legs and closed her eyes.

"Um... well then I'll see you tomorrow to start training." replied Cyrus. He headed inside, the last one to go sleep.

****Author's notes****

So Shara didn't have too bad an introduction. Cyrus is interested in her but she isn't back. Ember's overwhelmeby returning bad memories, and Spyro... wait, he's fine.

Next chapter up when finished (no promises on definite time), got more working time now.

This is Drakonseye, signing off.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: training, scouting, and experimental procedure

Flame woke the next morning to still find Ember curled up beside him, sleeping peacefully for the first time in days. It was also the first time he had woken up before she had; he was pleased that she had been getting sleep. Gently lifting his wing from her back, he walked outside without a word.

Ember opened her eyes. It was good that her acting had helped him; she was remembering small things more all the time, and she knew he needed a day free from a morning worry about her. Walking to the door, she then barely avoided a collision with Flame as he brought in a platter of food clenched in his jaws.

Dancing to the side to avoid having food splattered on his face, Flame allowed himself a small chuckle at his lack of attention. Setting the platter down, he asked, "Sleep well?"

"Better because you were there." Ember replied, giving him a hug with her wing as she normally did, then asked, "Is that for me?"

Returning the embrace, nodded an affirmative. "Got the best I could find. Need anything with that?"

"Just you to join me," Ember answered, already separating the large amount of food into two piles.

****Cyrus****

Cyrus padded to the balcony where Shara had been resting the night before and found her engaged in several tasks at once: she somehow was eating, holding a rapid-fire conversation with Volteer, and tracing runes in the air, all at once. Shara glanced back at him momentarily, then went back to tracing another rune into the air (the seventh one, he noted, and she was still creating more. They looked odd.).

"But the chances of such a success by such a majorital group, not to mention all from one village, to master their abilities to such an extent is infinitesimally small! Only one in billions could master to that extent- even we, the guardians, can't use everything our powers contain." Volteer paused to take a breath, seeming to fully intend to continue his babbling lecture.

"I agree fully. Still, the group that I was part of was not normal. The circumstances were uncertain regarding our arrival. And I'm not the only one, am I, Cyrus?" Shara said.

"Um... no, I guess not."

Volteer started angrily. "If you are agreeing with her, then you clearly do not understand the laws of our powers, Cyrus."

"I'm not even a dragon! Have you not 'understood' that?" Cyrus growled back. He hated being called ignorant or stupid.

"Please. How could you not be a dragon, but look like one? That's not even possible!" Volteer was close to shouting.

"Well, maybe you just don't understand as much as you think you do!" Cyrus roared right back at him.

Volteer reeled back as though stricken. Wheeling around, he slapped Cyrus across the face with his tail as he stormed away.

Shara watched him closely, then turned to Cyrus. "You shouldn't have said that," she said.

"I know, but he just pushes tolerance levels until you have to snap. How do you stand it?" Cyrus grumbled.

"Patience is part of it, and even more is to know when to stop. I know you easily could have," Shara said. "And you'll need that patience to practice anything you might want to learn from me."

"That's why I'm here. When do we start?"

Shara finished her breakfast, then completed weaving the final rune, and placed it by the others. It seemed they turned solid after completion. She murmured a small incantation, and they hovered in front of her. It rose higher into the air turning into a bright, liquid yellow ball. Shara swept her hands into the air, and the large sphere shot into the sky, all the while growing in size until it seemed there were two suns. Then the ball disappeared, and Shara dropped to the ground, panting from sudden exhaustion.

"If you look closely, you will see a new star in the sky tonight. It will be there for a few days, then burn itself out, andyou won't see it anymore."

Cyrus was awed. "How is it possible to create something so large from a few small symbols? Will I be able to learn that?"

"Let's stick with easier things first. Okay... I want you to... set that plant on fire," Shara said, confident he wouldn't be able to complete the goal without teaching.

Cyrus smirked. "That's my goal? Too easy." He concentrated on a nearby ashen gray mushroom, even if it was the type that was near impossible to burn when wet- which it was.. Opening his maw, as though to breathe ice, a whirlpool sort of reverse ice power struck the 'shroom. Immediately, a cold, white-blue vapor was removed from the unfortunate plant. As soon as the stream absorbed the last of the vapor, Cyrus cut power, leaving the mushroom in open air, where it began to smoke. It then caught fire and turned to ash.

Shara gaped in her astonishment. "How did you do that?"

Cyrus grinned. "I learned early on that heat is the absence of cold, and vice versa. As long as it's not actual ice, I can shoot beams to either remove or add coldness to things, simply by controlling the heat."

"Hmm. That's good. I've never seen that done before. You think Cynder could do it too?"

"Yeah, I would say so. But her process would be a mirror of mine- adding heat energy or removing it. What's next?"

"I expected that to take a lot longer. Let's try something that's different. Try to add at least a replica of the mushroom to the place you just burned out. Begin."

"Oh... That'll be a bit harder for me. I'll try though." And try he did. For the next twenty mintues, Cyrus stared at the pile of ash until he was forced to blink- and then stared some more. After anorher of these indervals, he was beginning to turn purple from the length of time he had held his breath.

Shara snickered silently under her breath. The power to create artificial life was one lost millennia ago. There was no way...

"I've got it!" Cyrus shouted, jumping into the air from jubilation. "All I've got to do is reform the mushroom's shape, freeze the mold, and natural light will reflect to do the rest."

Shara walked over to the pile of ash. Blowing gently, the ash scattered across the grass. Turning to him, she said, "No. You should have captured the spores and planted them. I did not say how long you had to create the form." As his shoulders drooped, she continued. "Remember, the simple answer isn't always the best. Your simulacrum would've melted, and then what? An ashen puddle would be what was left."

"Okay... there must be something more suited to my talents. I won't be able to do everything. You can't use every magic, can you?"

"As a matter of fact, I can," Shara retorted sharply. "You just aren't gifted to my level. Let's try other destructive powers, since you had no problem with incineration..."

****Spyro and Cynder****

Spyro woke that morning, again wrapped up with Cynder. They were both fine with it, but it was still awkward, as neither was sure of going to the next level.

Unwrapping himself from her embrace, he lay back down beside her, contemplating what had happened in the last few days. Cynder and Ember attacked, with Ember without memory, Shara arriving... Things hadn't been so chaotic since before Malefor was entombed. And by that judgement, with what Shara had said, it meant that Malefor was returning.

And it would have to be his job -again- to save everyone. What else were purple dragons for?

He sighed. Why were things so difficult all the time? Couldn't he have a day off, or a vacation, or something?

Just then, he felt something in his head. Thrashing his head, he tried to win the mental battle. He shuddered, his mental barriers smashed aside. Then it was over, his mind his own again... he needed sleep. Yes, that would do. Set all of his mental protection aside for a few extra minutes. He closed his eyes, and felt nothing but a void...

Cynder sat up sleepily by his side, eyes half shut and wincing from the dawn's rays. Yawning, she leaned against him, not really caring thay he wasn't quite paying attention.

As she leaned into him, she realized that he wasn't even paying the slightest attention to anything. Then she realized he wasn't even breathing.

Panic welled up inside of her. "Spyro?" When he didn't respond, she pushed against him, and he flopped to the ground, completely lifeless as before.

Rushing to his side, Cynder called to Cyrus to help. Checking his heartbeat, she heard nothing. Then she checked his eyes, looking for signs of a stroke, and staggered back in shock.

Cyrus skidded to a halt inside the room. Seeing Cynder pressed against the wall and Spyro on the ground and not moving, he quickly ran to Spyro's side. He followed the same actions as Cynder- checked his breathing, then his pulse, then checked his eyes in the same fashion.

His shock was nearly as absolute as Cynder's was; he jumped back and left the room, saying he would check with Ignitus. Cynder, feeling helpless and vulnerable, followed him. Her reason was obvious:

Spyro's eyes had turned completely pitch-black.

****Later****

"Physically, there's no reason he should look like this. But..."

"But what, Ignitus? There's very obviously something wrong with him," Cynder said in exasperation and desperation. The other guardians and their "team" had all gathered, wanting to help but unsure how to. Each had the same goal: help Spyro.

"... it looks as though something took his soul, his consciousness, and transferred it to a deep dream state. If he wants to get back, he'll have to either complete what the person wants, or fight them out of his body and mind. If he loses... he would be gone forever." Ignitus sighed. Things could never be easy.

****Spyro dreamscape****

Spyro was a consciousness floating in a void, with asteroid-like material floating gently by. There was something familiar about the place...

His suspicions were confirmed when a platform formed beneath his feet, and he regained weight and form and mobility. Below him, more platforms led to a central landing, where a small circlular pad was burning with a white and fiery light inside it. Them a voice echoed in his mind:

"It has been some time, Spyro."

"Chronicler? What's going on?" Spyro asked, sure that he would be tested.

"Malefor is coming. He wants vengeance. But he's both stronger and weaker than before. You won't be able to beat him without new strength. And everyone must become more powerful." The Chronicler answered.

"Did you just call me here to tell me that? I might be worried over by the others."

"It happens I did not just bring you here to talk. If you would please step on the pad, we can begin."

Spyro did as requested and walked up to the pad. But the moment he stepped on the platform, a white flame burst over his body. Screaming in pain, Spyro attempted to back away from the fiery aura... only to run into a wall of energy. Nearly blacking out from the pain, Spyro hardly heard the Chronicler's words.

"I am aware this hurts, Spyro. I even toned it to a survivable level. But to harness your control over light, you must first experience its sheer destructive force."

Spyro could feel scales being raised from his hide as blisters formed beneath them, then... nothing. It was all gone. The white inferno which held him simply passed over his bare skin, leaving only a warmth that was comforting.

With no notice, Spyro began to feel the scales over his body regrow. He shuddered as they grated into past each other, then locked into place. Then the fire surrounding him swept into him, and it felt as though he had been smelted and electrified.

"Light is the embodiment of all the powers that help create life. It will heal wounds, strengthen your body, or vanquish foes who you use this force of creation on. Use it wisely.

"I will test your combat prowess now. If you use light, it might help..."

****real world (noon)****

Spyro awoke with all of the soreness he had accumulated through the assignment. The work had gone on forever, just one step in front of another for coyntless hours. Looking around, he saw Cynder laying by his side, evidently having watched over him. Groaning, he gathered his legs under him to stand, then paused as a metallic noise could be heard.

He looked down. Since when was he shackled to the floor?

The noise had woken Cynder, and she stood in surprise. "Um... it is you, right Spyro?"

He was confused. "Of course it's me. Who else?"

"Just wait. I'll get the others."

As she left, Spyro muttered to himself amusedly, "As if I could if I wanted to."

****chapter end****

If you had to endure that agony for a power would you do it? Answer this, but more importantly, review! Thanks for reading!

Until next time, Drakonseye signing off.


	13. Chapter 13

Spyro is chained to the floor and the others are outside.

Chapter 13

Spyro could hear a quiet argument going on outside the door. It seemed to be about him. And while he didn't think they would hurt him, he was still apprehensive about why he was locked up. And where had they gotten the chain?

The door opened, and the guardians entered the room. Ignitus stood to the side, unhappy about something. Cyril and Terrador approached him, Volteer having apparently stopped in thought.

Terrador's deep gravelly voice shook Spyro to his feet. "Spyro. What happened?"

"The Chronicler trained me for a new threat. I know it will sound ridiculous, but Malefor is returning."

"Preposterous! You sealed him in yourself! He can't possibly return." Cyril objected.

"He can and will. I was shown what might be if we tried to beat him without preparation. A slaughter."

The guardians drew away from him into a small corner, where they briefly discussed their options. Then they returned to him, and Ignitus drew a key and unlocked his shackles. Then he winced.

"What?" Spyro asked. Feeling a most curious sensation on his legs, he saw that his restraints had bitten through the scales on his them. Blood ran down his right foreleg, a crescent shaped cut going through it.

Now that he saw it, his legs REALLY hurt. Cursing, he lifted the bleeding limb to his eye level, then breathed gently over it with light. Then he started cursing again, as it felt like something was moving under the skin... but it was really just his leg.

Shara watched in fascination as the cut on his leg knitted itself together, leaving a scar that was rapidly fading. He had said he didn't know how to use light... yet here he was, using it to patch up a small scrape. Very odd.

Cynder was never much for anything as odd as what she was seeing right then. Turning away, she saw that everyone was as disgusted as she was, except for Shara.

Ignitus broke the silence. "So.. what was that?"

"That was the Chronicler coming through again. Light is very helpful, did you know that?"

****mid-morning****

Cynder and Shara had gone outside to the balcony, and Ember and Flame had left with the elders, save Ignitus, to find food. Ignitus had remained behind to hear the story that Spyro was telling.

"So, after it felt that terrible to earn that power, I felt that I had better use it sparingly. But it really only becomes easier after extensive use, so..."

"So the Chronicler just unlocked this power inside you? He didn't have to gift you with it?" Ignitus asked, confused about this point in particular.

"No, it was just unlocking it as if it had been hidden. He didn't work any power on me that I know of," Spyro answered patiently. He had been asked this question several times.

"Okay, Spyro. I guess I'll not get any clarity on this. You may go." Ignitus sighed, still unsure about something. Then he walked to the Pool, muttering to himself.

Spyro padded to where Shara was virtually interrogating Cynder. Cynder looked flustered, and as soon as Spyro appeared, she burst out, "Spyro can definitely answer you better."

He turned to Shara, and she began unleashing question after question on him:

"Who is the Chronicler?"

"How did he come to be?"

"Where does he live?"

"What keeps him alive?"

"How does he know everything that happened and what could happen?"

"Why does he not avert disaster?"

Spyro was beginning to see why Cynder was flustered. He answered question after question, but they kept coming. It seemed like she wanted a complete history of the keeper of history. Yet he couldn't possibly answer everything.

After what seemed like an hour, the questions ceased to flow in his direction and he could draw in an extra breath. Spyro asked, "Are you done now?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Sure," Shara was deep in thought, trying to understand how this new being she was now aware of fit into the world. He seemed like a complete outlier... but maybe he was meant to be one. After all, not everyone knew everything that could happen, right? She walked inside.

Spyro looked over to Cynder. "Is it just me, or are they in a way trying to avoid me?"

"It's not just you," Cynder assured him. "So what was your 'grand' speech about Malefor?"

At this Spyro looked a little uneasy. "Let's wait for the others to come back, okay? Just trust me."

****Midday****

"Spyro! They're here!" Cynder called from the balcony, then added amusedly, "And they brought the banquet with them."

The six dragons landed carefully, as there was a large pile of fruits on each of their backs and small animals in their claws. Amd unsurprisingly, all of them except Volteer had earplugs of a claylike material, looking much less stressed than a normal flight with him made anyone.

Flame landed first, the creatures in his paws slipping to the floor. He pulled out the plugs of clay, then asked, "Those earplugs worked wonderfully. Where'd you get an idea for them?"

Ember called out, "WHAT?"

Terrador made an action as though to pull a plug put of his ear. Ember got the idea and pulled hers as well. Then he answered, "Long flights with Volteer definitely cause jumps of progress in earplug creation. Even short flights need them now." Volteer was too busy running his mouth to hear their talking.

Spyro stepped forward, all eyes turning to him. He had always hated being the bearer of bad news. He cleared his throat. "In all of our lives, there has been one thing that has completely destroyed our lives. For Shara, he destroyed many of her kind. For Ember and Flame, entire cities were burned around you by him. Cyrus, your parents- Ember's and Flame's as well- were brutally slaughtered. For the guardians, he drove you to exile, then drained you of much of your power. And worst of all, to Cynder, as he controlled her and did many things with her as his body while he was locked away. I think you know who I'm talking about."

The others nodded: his speech had gathered all of their attentions, made them hope for an answer to the point he had introduced.

"Malefor. He has caused all of this, and somehow this has brought us all together. But now, he has returned, no doubt to try to take all of what we have away and destroy us. But I know we won't let that happen. Last time, it took Cynder and me all of our strength to beat him. This time, if we prepare, he won't know what hit him... he doesn't have a plan this time. But we will."

"Guardians, I want you on defense. The Temple has at least a few powers, right?"

Ignitus smiled. "We'll see what we can do, young one," he promised.

"Shara, do you know if you can make traps? I don't know that they'll stop him, but they'll certainly slow him down."

Shara nodded. "Do you even need to ask?"

"Ember, Flame, Cyrus, think you can help Cynder and I defend the Temple?"

As each affirmed this course of action, Cynder brought up a point that was helpful.

"We need to learn how to work together, don't we? It's how we beat him, and let's admit, Spyro, that we were very, very lucky."

"That's a good point. Where do you think we should begin?"

Flame and Cyrus battled in the training hall, exchanging blows so quickly that each was tired out almost immediately from the pummeling. They walked unsteadily to Spyro, who patched them up and sent them back out again.

The elders worked outside, reviving buried and overgrown defensive golems and placing new arcane constructs where old ones had broken. Shara stood not far away, helping place the golems and weaving runic traps into the ground and air. The advantage of these was that only Malefor could trip these- and they were invisible. Anyone else could fly straight through them.

After Flame and Cyrus took a break, Cynder and Ember took a teamwork challenge against hundreds of large dummies. Having already some experience working together (albeit painful), the two shortly reduced the pile of sentient wood to kindling and splinters.

Spyro was amazed. Some enemies were covered in green liquid, others in an orange one. However, both dummies shortly dissolved into puddles, green and orange respectively.

It had turned out that Cynder had extra powers, gifted to her by the Chronicler to help destroy Malefor. There was also wind, shadow, and fear, all under her control. Even though she had had that power, they had all forgotten about it. Some acid was mixed with fire energies and was even more volatile. And orange.

Cynder's claws were still causing the floor to smoke due to the poison residue five hours later when they finally retired to their room. She reached for the sheets for their combined bed, but Spyro stopped her.

"I think maybe first I should wash your claws?" Spyro said, not wanting the generous gifts from the Atlawa people to be disintegrated. Blowing ice gently over her feet, a frost formed that steamed on her scales and melted. Traces of poison could be seen inside the flow of water.

After they had both settled down onto the bed, Spyro staryed to speak gently and quietly.

"I know it's been an odd path for you Cynder, to find those who care for you. What Malefor did has caused many to hate you but deep down, I think they all love you. With the short amount of time before the fight against Malefor, there are many things I regret not doing... and the first thing I'm changing about that is this: Cynder, I love you."

Cynder didn't know what to say. The dragon she had always wanted was admitting his love for her and now she was... scared? Nervous? Surprised? It didn't matter. She had him.

Pressing her head against his shoulder, she murmured back to him, "I love you, too."

Spyro brightened. Then he drew something from under the bed, an ornate wooden box. "Then with that said, I want to ask another point. Cynder, we've known each other for years. There have been uphills and downhills, twists and turns, but overall we've had a great run. I think you're the best thing that ever happened, so will you-" he swallowed nervously "-be my mate?"

Cynder felt heraelf go rigid at those words, but only for a minute. Then she pressed up against him. "Of course! Do you really need to ask that?"

"Well then," Spyro said, now completely focused on his next point. "Close your eyes."

Cynder did, and then felt as though her neck was much lighter. Then the same feeling spread to both her forelegs, and she heard a whisper in her ear, "You can look now." As she did, she didn't see a difference... until she realized what she didn't see. Her shackles were gone. She looked over at Spyro, emotion welling up in her eyes as she saw the heavy metal bands in front of him, locks broken and hinges open. And beside them was something even more amazing to her, a replacement of sorts that was much better than what Malefor had forced onto her: a set of cuffs like those she had worn, but gold, and inlaid with a veritable fortune in gems- emerald, ruby, even some healing and energy crystals that had been perfectly cut to shape. And they were protected, too. To go with them was a new collar (of sorts) with the same design, except there was a small obsidian in the center.

She was speechless. Certainly he hadn't been sneaking away, so where had he gotten the time to complete this much work, with or without help?

"Do you like it?"

The question seemed self-answering to her. "Of course I like it. It's beautiful," she said, brimming with joy and surprise at the turn in the day. "Can you put it on? I want to see how it looks."

She was even more stunning than before, Spyro thought as she turned to him, waiting for his response. But he had no words, as she was greater than ever before. All he could do was lead her to their bed, where he kissed her on the cheek and they both felk asleep, joyful at the day's end.

I really don't want to ruin the moment. Drakonseye out.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: peace talks have broken down

Ember stood at the door, looking at how she had left the room last night. Scorch marks ringed the walls, and the floor was covered in a gritty ash. Self practice was not always as effective when a roommate was present.

During one of the comet dashes she had been practicing, Flame had walked in, and she had been forced to veer off course so as not to hit him. She ricocheted around the room, burning portraits and stone.

She walked to the dojo, where Ignitus, Flame, and Cynder were all waiting to see how she had progressed. Stepping nervously into the ring, a large dummy appeared ahead of her with a target ring behind it.

Okay... she could do it. Provided they didn't move it around. Straight fire only. Gathering her power, she charged headon at the enemy, flames dancing around her feet and wreathing her horns. Seeing the dummy was not moving, sbe closed her eyes and waited for impact. She felt a small push, heard a hiss, and promptly tripped over the now-melting metal ring.

Ember looked back. A smalk track was melted where she had run, with a wooden figure at the trail's end. It had a charred and smoking hole in it.

Ignitus gaped in astonishment. "But how... to melt that, you need a LOT of power. How long was it that you've held back from using fire?"

"That's easy to remember. Last night, after I burned down the wall pictures."

Ignitus groaned. The pictures in that room had been some of the only original paintings left. "How- no, never mind. I really don't want to know. Just try to keep it under control when you're indoors?"

"Why? If I've got enough power to melt that, why not use that power?" asked Ember.

Flame walked over to her. "Ember... you could accidentally melt the Temple if you're not careful. That's all."

"Oh... okay."

"Alright... let's try again, Ember," Ignitus said, "and this time control it."

Ember nodded, gathering her fire for a second pass. This time, however, she would focus. Instead of a large heat streak, she would focus it so as not to melt through the floor. She charged the dummy again, and again closed her eyes.

She could feel the wind rushing past her. Then she felt a slight push, then- CRAK- she hit the wall. Stumbling around, she mumbled something, then fell to the floor seconds later.

Flame lowered his paw from in front of his eyes. There was no scorch mark in the floor, but there was another dummy on the floor with a hole through it. Behind that was Ember, and behind her was an indent of her head melted into the wall. Rushing over to her, he saw a large bruise forming where she had taken the brunt of the impact. There was little to worry about, though. She was already up on her feet, if wobbly.

"Ohhhh..." Ember groaned. Her brain felt like a caged wild animal, trying to burst away from her. Something was coming back to her about her past, though...

Ember cried in delight as she was able to remember more and more with each second. It was like a dam had been broken and memories came flooding out. She remembered her youth, when there had been no trouble... then when Cynder had killed everyone else, and she had hidden to survive... meeting Flame and Cyrus, her best friends... running from the orphanage where a few other surviving children were huddled with despair... finding her friends again... living away from civilization... coming back when they needed help, and realizing things weren't so bad... It was all there.

She turned to Cynder, who stood in the back of the room, perplexed by Ember's sudden lack of fear of her. Cynder stood still as Ember approached her, then started in surprise as Ember gave her a hug, wings extended.

Cynder looked to Ember, who said, "I'm sorry I've been treating you so terribly recently. I'd like to make it up to you, so just ask."

"What? I thought you were avoiding me. What's going on here?" Cynder glanced around to the other two, but they looked just as perplexed." What's going on here?" she asked again, stepping back from Ember cautiously.

"I just remembered everything! Wait. I think I did. Maybe not, but how will I know?" Ember said.

Flame walked over to her. "Back to normal?" he said, smiling at her sudden and jarred recovery.

"Yep! And now...cjdijnfzzzzzzz..." Ember dropped to the floor, vocal cords trailing to silence slowly.

Ignitus rushed to her side, then checked her vitals and let out a sigh of relief. "She'll be fine... just needs rest."

Cynder too was relieved. Knowing there was nothing more to happen there, she went outside to speak with Shara. It always confused her, but often gave her a completely different perspective, though it usually was close to her own conclusions.

Shara was still sitting, eyes closed, legs crossed when Cynder stepped out onto the deck. The avian's eyes remained closed, even when Cynder sat beside her.

"Sleep well?"

The question surprised Shara. Cynder had not been paying attention. Standing, eyes closed still, she replied, "I was. What's going on?"

"Oh... sorry, I thought you slept more like we did. Is it just because you dont have anything to rest on?"

Shara's eyes were finally opened. For a moment, she had a glow to them, then looked over to the dragoness sitting beside her. "It's how I have always slept. No other way for me. What's with the new attire?"

"Finally! Someone noticed! It's a gift from Spyro. Last night.." Cynder leaned in to whisper the rest to her. Shara let out a squeal of excitement that was much unlike her.

Ember wandered out, limping for the paw covering her forehead. "What's going on?" Then, noticing Cynder's new jewelry, she asked, "What's with the fancy look?"

"Cynder just became mates with Spyro!" Shara shouted excitedly.

Ember looked over to where Cynder sat. "Really?!"

Cynder shook with excitement where she sat. "Yeah! I think it's taken him awhile to get the courage to make a move, but it's great!"

"I'm so happy for you two! Did you get him anything?"

Cynder's face fell. "No... it was a little sudden for me, and I'm not that great at crafting anyway. You girls think you could help me out?"

Shara laughed, the sound high and clear. "Do you even need to ask us that? Of course we'll help."

"I'm a great crafter, and Shara's got powers we don't. Count us in, and Spyro will have the gift of a lifetime!" Ember said.

The young drake in question was padding to where Ignitus stood by the Pool, where the Fire Guardian had been standing for hours. He occasionally twitched, but was motionless otherwise.

Ignitus looked up when Spyro entered the room. He looked a little drained from so long a stand, but energized by what he had seen.

"Find anything?"

Ignitus nodded. "It's a bit confusing, but I can force it to show you what it showed me."

Spyro walked to where Ignitus stood, then looked to the blank Pool. The Fire Guardian waved a paw over the pool, and an image rippled back to visibility.

A pair of dragons stood protectively over their clutch, a fire dragon and an earth dragoness. The male had Spyro's features, with the thickset shoulders and jagged horns, while the dragoness looked... more like Cynder, with similar patterns and scales. They were fighting what seemed like a losing battle. There was a large ring of apes around the dragons, then another behind them, and another, and... it just went on for miles.

"Are they..."

"They are your father and Cynder's mother. No, they are not related. They met this day, forced to protect their shattered families. Now quiet."

The two dragons were tiring, although there was a large wall of bodies around them. Bombs were lobbed into the "ring", fuses short. The dragoness was hard pressed to shift the ground over them before they exploded. While she did this, her counterpart was incinerating anything stupid enough to come within range. Spyro suspected the only reason they hadn't fallen yet was a large overhang over the nests.

"Cover the eggs!" The order was barely audible over the screeches of so many enemies. But it was obeyed, a large sheet of earth sliding over both the nests and the dragoness and solidifying into rock.

Spyro's father rose up into the air, wings folded, and heat and power gathered around him until he glowed as bright as a miniature sun. Their enemies had to shield their eyes, and that was when he struck. A blazing comet struck down toward the army, a shrieking death that claimed many that night. He rose into the air again with the same posture, then released his power with one wave of blue-white fire that incinerated most of the front line.

One giant ape stood in the center of the carnage, swords melted and eyes filled with hatred.

The red wyrm snarled. "Gaul. This is the day you die." He turned to the rock formation behind him, and whispered, "Prepare to leave with both clutches. They have to survive."

He turned to Gaul, then became a asterisk of flame again. As he flew at Gaul, the ape didn't even move. What was he-

Gaul was gone from his path, a small opening popping out of existence. He saw the same happening by his side, them was stopped by the extented arm that appeared in his path to snap his neck.

Gaul lifted the dragon from the ground, holding him in a position where he was helpless. Then he cackled. "Did you think yourself invincible, dragon?"

The rock collapsed just then, the dragoness stepping from the ruins of both nests with both eggs set in a chestpiece armor carved from rock. It carried both of the nest's eggs. Spreading her wings, she prepared to take off, but froze when she saw the battlefield and its two inhabitants. And other apes were crawling forward, seeing their leader had won.

"Go! It's your last chance," choked out the captured drake, clawing at the arm that held him. He struggled in the iron grasp, then spluttered again, "Go!"

She took flight, and Gaul called out, ordering the few remaining fliers to pursue her. They tried to rise, but the earth had solidified to their feet and they were unable to fly. It seemed she was catching a break.

Gaul was having none of it. He seized a spear from a comrade's hand and hurled it to the diminishing sight.

The earth dragoness was nearly to her destination when pain exploded in her underbelly. A spear was embedded in her underside, and large streams of blood poured from her new wound. It was a fatal wound. But she had delivered both clutches safely.

Gaul turned to his captive. His grip tightened. "Since we failed, I suppose we have to stick with you," he hissed angrily.

The wyrm choked, his neck crushed. But he managed to gasp, "Stick this." and clawed out one of the ape Lord's eyes.

Gaul screamed. His hand spasmed, and what little structure of the dragon's neck collapsed. He went limp. The damage was done, though. Gaul would never see through that side of his head ever again.

A younger Ignitus rushed outside... he had heard a crash. By the door, there was a stream of blood leading to the hatchery...

...where he saw an earth dragon, sprawled on the ground, covering a multitude of eggs. A large hole was torn in her underside, and Ignitus saw the worst... a mother cut down just when she was safe.

The seemingly dead dragoness shifted. Ignitus was within her sight, and he heard her groan. The next thing he heard was a murmur of, "guard him with your life." Then she rolled to the side, and Ignitus saw a purple within the others.

Spyro stared at the Pool, which had turned blank and bottomless again.

"It seems your parents knew each other, Spyro. Their sacrifice, especially that of your father, allowed you and Cynder to save the world." Ignitus said.

"But... there's got to be more. Before that, I mean. How did they know each other?"

"I truly don't know, Spyro. I would show you if I could."

Author's Notes:

Sorry this chapter took a little longer, I've been busy and was in a sort of creative slump. Anyway, finished now.

Until next time, Drakonseye signing off.


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry about the update time. Had a lot on my mind and on my plate.

Chapter 15: to avoid suspicion, stay on time

Spyro padded into the gardens, mind abuzz about what he had seen a few days ago in the pool. He had seen where his parent and Cynder's had made their stand... it was now part of the swamp he had called home. He felt like he needed to go there, but was reluctant to leave so close to the day Malefor would arrive. What was more, he didn't know if his father's body was still there. It was always possible that Gaul had taken his body, no matter how unlikely.

He made a decision then, to check for remains while he still had time. He spread his wings, unaware that he was watched.

Spyro had been searching for hours, and found nothing like the overhang that had been his home for a short time. He had seen it as a child, though... where was it?

He growled in frustration as yet another area had no landmark overhang. As he prepared to take flight, he saw a lithe form drop from the air and into the scummy water beside him. Whipping around, he saw that he had been about to flame Shara.

"He isn't here, Spyro."

Spyro was now not only frustrated but confused as well. "How do you know what I'm looking for, or even where I'm looking?"

Shara smiled and tapped her head. "You still haven't learned to control anything up here. I'm amazed you noticed the Chronicler as you did."

"Okay... so how do you know he's not here?"

"I would feel his imprint, like a signature. It's all I would need to find anyone- and you're the easiest. Can't find Malefor though... any reasons why?"

"Maybe he doesn't want to be found just yet," Spyro suggested.

"Perhaps... anyway, I checked the landscape from the air, like you should have, and found something. Come with me." And she took off again.

As Spyro took flight, he was stricken with a feeling of foreboding. This was odd; Shara wasn't one to duck out on her duties, and she had been on watch when he had left. Why was she doing this?

"Ignitus?"

"In here, Cynder. What can I do for you?"

Cynder padded to where Ignitus' voice emanated from. He was in the room that had stored the eggs of fleeing dragons- the hatchery. The old dragon was crouched by a rectangular stone slab, decorated more ornately than the others and placed away in the back of the room, away from the others, one that Cynder had not noticed before.

"Have you seen Spyro? He's been distracted lately and now I don't know where he's gone."

"I'm afraid I haven't. Are you sure he isn't getting food, or something of the like?" Ignitus answered.

She padded to where Ignitus sat vigil, eyes closed. "I guess... anyway, what's this?"

Ignitus stood, his knees making popping noises as he did so. He sighed. "I guess you're old enough now. This is your mother's tomb, Cynder."

She froze in shock. "What? In here, all this time? Why not tell me sooner?"

He sighed again. "No time, I guess. And how would you have reacted before now?"

"But... still! I think I should've been informed of this sooner."

Ignitus groaned. He had known it would surprise her, but not this much.

"Look I know this is a surprise, but you never did ask, and you've been gone whenever you've had time. Do you want help looking for Spyro?"

Cynder shook her head. "No, it's fine. If he's anywhere nearby, I'll find him easily." I think, she added to herself.

She stepped outside to a high vantage point on the roof. The air was clear, winds gentle- perfect for flight.

Shara led him to a small, wooded clearing, which had an overhang in it. He was relieved that he was finally able to put his mind at rest, but still, something was wrong...

There were still scorches across the walls from the fight that had taken place so long ago. Spyro padded to the wall, where an ape's outline was burned to the wall as well. Everywhere he looked, Spyro could see just how many enemies had been faced down, with minimal injury... until Gaul had appeared.

He was so focused on details from the battle that he didn't notice that the forest canopy was sealing above him, or that the entrances to the hollow were now flooded with a mesh-like substance that was made of darkness.

Turning around, he laughed in amazement. "How did you find this, Shara?" Looking around, he saw how the area had been changed. The smile slid off his face. "Shara?"

The entrance to the cave was clear, with nobody in sight in any direction.

Then he shuddered as a grating voice replied, "I'm afraid she won't be answering you anytime soon."

Spyro backed into the cavern. He knew that voice. "No..." he whispered.

A large black wyrm's head appeared from above the overhang, eyes burning with hatred. It dropped to the floor, a form even more malicious than the last time it had been seen. Beside him dropped a Griffin- Shara. She stood in a robotic fashion, standing stiffly.

"The only thing you can do to save those in my temple is walk away. And I'll promise not to kill you," the corrupted drake said, still stepping forward.

Spyro thought back to when he had looked into the overhang. Hadn't there been a tunnel in the back? He turned to look- there was one.

"You just have to join me and no one has to die," Malefor offered.

Glancing back, he saw that the Dark Master and his new ally were still advancing. He took a chance and ran to the tunnel, then ducked as a hail of shadow bolts were hurled at his head. The rock above him shattered, and sheets of rock crashed down on the entrance- on him.

"Spyro... where are you?" Cynder whispered to herself. She had flown above the sparse cover of the swamp for quite some time and seen nothing.

A sudden plume of dust caught her eye, from an overhanging ledge. The place hadn't looked stable before, so it was probably nothing. She couldn't shake the feeling that Spyro was there though- who else would cause trouble?- so she descended for a closer look.

"-certain he was crushed by rocks?" The words floated to Cynder's ear, and she quickly hid- the voice was Malefor's. Rocks clattered as she landed, and she held her breath as she waited to be discovered. A few lifetimes seemed to pass, then, just as she peered over the rock to hear better, a response came.

"Yes. With him dying as we speak, all that remains is to attack them."

Cynder slipped back to the ground; they had been betrayed. But Shara had sounded odd, her voice overlayed to a deeper tone. She let out a shaky breath hoping for the nightmare to simply go away.

Malefor spoke again. "Cast out your senses. Can you find anyone else in the area?"

A pause- "No. They are all at the Temple. And by tomorrow all of their traps will be used against them. They will be rendered helpless." Shara had sounded less corrupt and more unsure, however.

Cynder heard wings unfurl, then saw a pair of shadows fly over the canopy. Then she gasped as the overhang she was perched on gave way, spilling her into a tunnel. Brushing herself off, she began to explore the tunnels. It wasn't long before she found a rockslide, and according to Shara, Spyro was underneath one. She began digging, using acid very carefully to eat through the rock. She stopped whenever she found gem fragments, either healing herself or charging the gems in her armor.

After quite some time and at the heart of the pile, she found Spyro. He was breathing fine, but other than that he didn't seem in very good health. But at a closer look, he hadn't been injured very much- just his back leg, with a break and possibly his shoulder, but she wasn't sure.

She heaved his heavy frame over her slender shoulders, then struggled to both carry him and reach a safe point. But first, she had to leave the tunnel, and there were no exits except the hole she had fallen from.

"Okay Spyro... I know you hate this, but I'm going to have to use shadow travel to leave this place." He groaned, but still didn't wake. Both of them burst into a black powdery cloud, then appeared several lengths down the tunnel. Then they burst into a shaded cloud again.

Cynder returned to the Temple at nearly the next morning, using sight to go from one shadow to the next. Cyrus was on watch, eyes glowing with a nighteye look. He had been told to watch for the missing three, and ducked inside to tell Ignitus of only Cynder's arrival. Because of this, the Fire Guardian was waiting for her inside when she hurried inside.

"Cynder. What's going on? Where's Spyro?" Ignitus queried, understandably confused about her late appearance.

The black dragoness didn't even slow down, instead heading to the room that was both a vault and an armory. As the elderly dragon padded over, she shoved his old set of armor at him. Then she strode out, finding each of the other inhabitants and similarly prepping them (Cyrus took an extra set and was forced to take Spyro's as well).

Cyril began irritably, "Now that we've played a nice game of dress-up, do you want to tell us why you've sent us flying away from the near-impenetrable fortress we have spent days, weeks even, fortifying?"

Cynder may have been set on leading them to safety, but it didn't mean she wasn't going to answer them. Slipping in between Ember and Cyril, she began her explanation with her looking for Spyro and ending when she had arrived at the temple.

It was a story with so much to think over that everyone was silent until they had arrived at where they would stay for awhile.

They had come to the Valley of Avalar.

Thassal for now. Drakonseye out.


	16. Chapter 16

And.. was just finished, heading to click save, when- BAM -my system crashed. My apologies on the delay.

Chapter 16: live to fight another day

Ember crept above the forest glade, looking for any supplies (meat, gems, etc.) that might be useful. Shortly after their arrival, the dragons had learned that the Atlawans were strictly vegetarian, and that they had little food left in storages, certainly not enough for dragons.

There was little to worry over in the forest, almost as if they were meant to forget danger. As if they were the deer she was stalking from above, completely relaxed. One had looked wary but Ember had gotten far better at stealth, despite her bright color. She had discovered after an unfortunate fall that mud streaked on her scales had disguised her scent and made her less easily spotted. And while it was occasionally a pain to remove, she was finding the rewards outweighed the risk. If there was one.

She had proven herself as a hunter but not as effective otherwise. Cynder had taken to a constant watch over Spyro and Cyrus, and Flame was the one who had taken to large scale construction. He had already built a full shelter, and would've made a village if the others hadn't stopped him. He was working elsewhere in his free time as well, too.

After taking down two deer in quick succession, she began the long journey of carrying the two deer back to their camp. With one on her back and the other dragged on any flat surface the could find, it was backbreaking work. She greeted the Guardians on her way inside, laying the food and a few gems on their respective gather points. She had also been looking for weapons; so far she had collected a tailblade and forearm blades, foreleg-mounted crossbow, and a set of eight incredibly heavy daggers that had no apparent purpose but to stab. But Cyrus had requested that the last item was kept for him. It was one of the few things he had kept any interest in.

As she deposited the carcasses on the platform, Cynder came inside to see what she had gathered that day.

"Not much here, but the local wildlife is quickly learning of us. Harder to find anything. But the deer are incredibly slow. That's my day, how was yours?"

Cynder shrugged. "Same as yesterday, just keeping watch. But I think someone else needs to watch for a bit; Cyrus seems to be getting a little... attatched."

"I'll check on them in a bit," Ember promised. She had wanted to watch for a time now, with the amount of hunting she had done she was exhausted.

She padded into the room where Spyro and Cyrus were resting. Spyro looked up wearily to where the dragoness' footsteps sounded from. Ember was shocked that he had recovered so quickly. Until the past day, he had been unconscious from the hits to his head and neck. Every movement was still a struggle for him, since he had been unknowingly using light for weeks to heal his critical injuries. He was still drained.

"Hey, Ember," Spyro rasped. He wasn't able to speak very well, dust in the lungs and whatnot.

"Didn't expect you to be up so soon. How're you holding up?"

"All things considered, not too bad. You?"

Ember sighed. "Well, hunting can get a little tiring - especially when you don't get in shape for it. But beside the muscle ache, not bad myself."

"Juat a guess, but I'm guessing you came in here for a reason?" he coughed.

Ember chuckled. "I can't just visit?" Receiving a stare from Spyro, she continued. "Nah, we're just going to eat. Wanna come? Or you going to get meals at your bedside?"

"I'll try," he offered, "but don't rush me in there. I don't want to harm myself."

Ember nodded. Then, bracing herself, she went to where Cyrus was cornered.

The Half-wyvern hadn't fared well at Shara's betrayal, and he had a fear that the same mind control/ side switching power Malefor had would be turned on him next. Combined with allergies from some forest plant, he wasn't in the best straits.

Ember crouched down to his level. She tried to find where his head was, but the ball he had curled into was quite seamless.

"Cyrus?" The word was simple, but had the intended effect Ember had wanted. The wyrm of white unwound from his sleeping state, eyes bleary and body limp.

He had let himself go. Plant life was growing on him in his hibernation. There were several patches of his underbelly that had a fungus growing on it, dirt patches on his forelegs, and several pitted scales on his chest from a prolonged sleep on sharp stones. If she hadn't known better, she would've said he had been trying to be eaten by the ground.

"Come on, you need to eat and wash..." maybe wash first, she added to herself. She waited for a response, but Cyrus merely nodded and headed to a small overhang where a pool of water was slowly draining from the last rain.

As Ember turned to where Spyro was walking slowly to the door, he wobbled suddenly and she dashed forward to keep him from falling.

"Thanks," Spyro muttered. He seemed steadier than before, and with a small rest he made his way to where everyone was beginning to roast parts of the day's catch with firebreath and Volteer was trying to start a fire with an electrical spark. He wasn't the best for near-wilderness experience, but he was ambitious.

Flame cleared a spot beside him where he had already cooked an entire set of ribs. He courteously offered her the first bite, and she blinked gratefully and took the offer.

Just as the cooked food was finished, Cyrus padded wearily out to join them. He was greeted warmly, but it seemed as though he didn't hear them.

He looked much better now that he didn't seem to be a walking fungus display, and when he asked where the uncooked food was, the group was surprised. He hadn't spoken in quite some time.

Ember gestured to where the remains of the first deer and the second were stacked. Ignitus offered to cook what he wanted, but he shook his head in exasperation when he was turned down. Instead, Cyrus took the remains of the meat from the first carcass and began to down it raw.

"Doesn't cook much, does he?" Flame murmured in her ear. Ember silently agreed with him. Then, speaking up, she said, "So what have you been doing lately, Flame?"

The red drake looked oddly at her, to which she returned with her own look. Then, speaking up, he told everyone how he had begun construction of a wing of sleeping quarters and also how they would be nearly completed by the next day.

Cyrus glanced up from the leg he was devouring. "New wing?"

"Yeah."

The frost dragon stood up. "If you'll excuse me for a moment..."

The other dragons watched in surprise as he headed off to where the new quarters were built.

Flame glanced over to where the Guardians sat. "Should I go get him?"

Terrador nodded. "The last thing we need is to lose him. If he falls into the mud in there, I'm guessing he won't bother to get back up."

Cyrus padded to the edge of the costruction area, where there wasn't roofing yet. He gazed at the stars, then jolted in surprise when one blinked out of existence. It made him sad- that one must have been the artificial star Shara had created, its light burning out at last.

Just as its glow faded, a new glow appeared in his grasp as he removed the necklace Shara had given him just before she had gone off.

"Cyrus?"

He quickly replaced the charm to his neck, spinning around to find Flame standing in the doorway. The red drake seemed wary of interfering in something he didn't know about, but he strode forward to where Cyrus stood. "What was that?"

As he struggled for an answer that made sense, Flame hesitantly grabbed where the glow had come from. Then his eyes widened when his paw closed around a small sphere on a chain. Lifting it to where he was able to see it, he was temporarily blinded as a flare of light burst from it, lighting the charm with a bright azure glow- the same he had seen before. He should have been surprised, but didn't have time to be before he heard someone say,

::Well met.::

That was too much for him he smiled airily, then slid to the ground, unconscious.

Ember found them later, Flame passed out and Cyrus pacing worriedly and seeming to be arguing with himself. She padded forward warily.

After a checkup by the elders, Flame was set to rest until he woke up. Ember had questions for Cyrus on what had happened, but the pale drake refused to answer fully, assuring them that Flame would be okay.

Of course, the vague response only made Ember and the rest more suspicious-

What was Cyrus hiding?

Author's notes

Again, sorry for any delays. Computer problems... you know how it goes.


	17. Chapter 17

Been having some problems lately. Hopefully, they're resolved, and no more distraction.

Chapter 17: Hearing ghosts

"Ohhh..."

Flame sat up, his head throbbing. The last thing he remembered was... a voice? But there hadn't been anyone around.

He opened his eyes to see that he was watched. Rather, Ember had chosen to watch over him. She was asleep at his side, breathing gently. Then he fell back to sleep, tired from the small effort.

The next time he woke up, Ember wasn't sleeping beside him. He stood slowly, his legs stiff from being unused. He could hear idle talk in the main cavern, which was where he was slowly travelling.

"-nd the first thing he said after being knocked down was,-"

Flame grinned. This was an inside joke he knew. He was the subject of it, and as she began to tell it, he crept through the decor of the cavern to where Spyro sat, then whispered loudly, "Thanks."

"Gah! Don't do that," Spyro said, jumping to his feet and whipping around. Then he paused. "Wait... you said 'thanks'?"

Flame laughed. "Yeah, that's exactly what I said."

The purple dragon stared blankly at him. "How is that supposed to make sense?"

He laughed again. "It isn't. To this day, I honestly don't know why I said that."

He pondered this for a moment. Before he could respond, however, Flame staggered as Ember nearly tackled him in a hug. He grunted in surprise, his lungs crushed in the move.

Ember let him go. "I'm so glad you're back," she whispered.

"Was I ever gone?" Flame asked confusedly. "I don't really feel like I've been out for that long."

"Well, you were out for about half of today and all of last night. Can you explain, since Cyrus won't?" Spyro said, frustrated that Cyrus hadn't seemed to respond to anything.

"Um... let's see, I went to look for him, and there was this weird glow... he turned around, and I grabbed his... necklace, or whatever it was," Flame answered, rubbing his head where he seemed to have fallen.

Ember and Spyro exchanged a quick glance. "You're sure he had a necklace?" Ember asked worriedly.

"That's what knocked me out! I grabbed it, and then heard..." Flame broke off, both in speech and action. The pair had to run to keep up with him. He flew through the small compound, turning corners faster than he had managed previously.

He skidded to a halt in front of Cyrus. The drake didn't even respond, apparently having gone to sleep again. That didn't last, however, as Flame grabbed his shoulder and shook him awake roughly.

Flame wasted no time- Cyrus' eyes hadn't even snapped open before he was interrogated.

"Where's the charm?" Flame growled.

Cyrus yawned, opened his eyes, calmly took note of the dragons around him, as well as the fact that he had Flame gripping behind his wing arms with force, then glanced back toward the shocked faces of Spyro and Ember.

"A little help here? He isn't going to calm down."

"Why isn't he?" Spyro asked while he tried unsuccessfully to pull Flame away from potentially injuring Cyrus.

"I heard you in there. It's true; there is a charm I received from Shara. Unfortunately, Flame touched it without asking; the person kept inside it didn't take kindly to that." The Half-wyvern replied. Then he reached over Flame's arm to yank at the now-visible chain at his neck. "If he gets it now, he might calm down... or he could pass out again. And," he smirked, showing some of his normal self again, "almost anything is better for me than being slightly less than strangled. Almost. Sooo... can you get him off me?"

Flame had loosened his grip when the charm was removed from Cyrus' neck, and let go when Cyrus tossed it to Spyro. He jumped over to Spyro, and at a nod from Cyrus, Spyro handed it to Flame.

He immediately slumped, a dazed look appearing in his eyes. He looked around confusedly. "What..."

"What did I just do?" Flame asked warily. It was as though he had blacked out, but had been awake the entire time.

"You don't remember anything you just did?" Spyro asked, startled by Flame's sudden change.

"No..." he looked down, "And what's this in my hand?"

"Yes, Cyrus, what exactly is it?" Spyro asked.

"It's a charm Shara gave me. She said that I had a better chance to protect what's inside it than anyone else. Unfortunately, she didn't tell me what was in it. So all I know is that it's sentient, and it seems like it doesn't take kindly to anyone touching it without permission."

"How do you know it's sentient?" Ember asked, speaking for the first time since entering the room.

"Well... that's what scares me. Occasionally the charm-" he gestured toward the blue glowing ball in Flame's paw "-talks." He shuddered.

"Talks?" Spyro queried.

"Usually it's nonsense. And it's not very often, but sometimes it talks like it knows the future."

"That's what he said when I grabbed him!" Flame burst out. "That he needed help getting out of the amulet so he could help us."

Just as Ember was getting a headache, Cynder entered the room. She had heard a struggle from outside; now, she saw a glow emanating from Flame's chest, then Ember clutching her head like she needed a rest. Naturally, she asked the point that was most obvious:

"What the hell is going on in here?"

"So, basically the reason you've been tucked away in the corner this entire time is not because you were depressed, but you were trying to conceal a potentially dangerous artifact that you don't even know the use of?" Cynder asked, bewildered by the point Cyrus had tried to make.

"It wasn't just that. He told Shara that she would be attacked, and she had to hide him somewhere safe; apparently, with me. I have a feeling he meant when she was... possessed, or whatever it was." Cyrus responded with an urgency. No doubt he had spotted Flame tossing it up and down absently. "And now that Flame shouldn't attack me anymore, I think I should retrieve him." He moved to take his charm back.

"Just a moment. You keep referring to that as 'him'. Why is that?" Cynder asked, stepping in his path.

He shrugged. "Sounds like a guy. So I figure that he is." Then he sidestepped her and snatched it back from Flame.

Cynder walked over to where Spyro was waving. "Can we trust him on this?" He said quietly, wary of what Cyrus had kept hidden for so long.

"I know just about as much as you do. Actually, you probably know more," Cynder retorted. "Because I just got here."

"What do you think about the... well, whatever it is?"

"From what he said, we should be fine. But..." she kicked around a pile of sand in front of her.

"But?" Spyro prompted.

She was silent before a moment before she replied, "It just strikes me as odd that the only reason he told us is because Flame looked in on it."

"Flame did what?" the red drake interjected.

"Just that you found what he was hiding," Spyro assured him.

"And heard it-" Flame broke off his question. His eyes were suddenly filled with excitement.

"What?"

"It's him!" Flame said excitedly. "I can hear him again!"

Author's Notes********************

I'll put it to a stop here today. Not much actual movement, though. Drakonseye, signing off.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: say again?

"You can hear it again?" Spyro was skeptical. He had only just woken up because of it, and now he couldn't wait to pass out again?

"Yeah! He just said th..." Flame broke off. "He just told me we have to get back home..."

Cyrus broke in. "Go back? I don't think you've noticed, but it's going to be a little harder than usual to enter the temple. Even if they had to soldier through all the golems, the traps are still probably set AGAINST us, if Shara was with him. She could alter all of them. It certainly won't be easy to get back in." His point made, he stepped out to eat.

Flame looked over for assurance to where Ember stood passively. "I think we can take them," she said.

"So, are we going to go?" The question was simple, but an answer would require careful thought, as one wrong step could kill them; some traps were more deadly than others, and they would have to get through them all.

"Is it just up to me?" Spyro asked, surprised that they were willing to follow him.

"Sounds like it."

"If that's so, then I think we should all vote on it. I'm not going to lead us all blindly," he said firmly.

Three hours later

"Okay. So we've all decided to go. But seeing as how we need a plan, we can't really leave just yet." Ignitus summarized tiredly. Standing in as the meeting judicator meant no rest, even when the meeting went into the night. "Terrador, have you got anything figured out yet?"

The Earth Guardian stepped forward. Using a minimally power draining technique, he quickly created a replica of the temple, albeit much smaller. A cloud of dust particles floated around it.

"Once we get there, we only have one shot at this. We'll enter from an area concealed to just about everyone else, the side passage that Spyro learned of long ago. Malefor doesn't know about it, so we will have the element of surprise. After we're inside, we'll see if we can't grab Shara and figure out what's wrong with her. If not..." He grimaced.

"Hold on, you aren't meaning that we kill her if we can't save her?" Cyrus asked in a furious manner. His voice threatened that that wouldn't happen if he could help, even if it was the plan.

"I'm sure that won't happen," Cynder assured him. A faint murmur of agreement traveled through the room.

Terrador turned to Cyrus. "Anything we ought to know about the traps?"

Cyrus looked up. "The only thing I know is that they destroyed mine."

"How?"

"There's a sort of... link, between caster and a spell. And when they killed the traps they couldn't change, it sent a jolt back to me." He explained slowly, grasping for words to explain simply.

He stamped the ground impatiently. "I mean, how did they actually destroy them?"

"Oh... that's a more complex answer; the first thing they'd have to do would be to hit it with water, so they could see where they would have to hit it. Then it would probably be Malefor to hit it with a bit of electricity while Shara threw some sand on it."

Ember broke in. "Wait... so these sort of traps would be incredibly easy to bypass if you were an electric dragon on a beach?"

Cyrus rubbed his neck. "Yeah, well... those traps would've been impossible if you were where the griffins lived. No sand, and pure elemental electricity would also probably be hard to come by. But for us, easy."

"So. We've got a way to get in, a plan to help Shara, and a hope to take our home back. Let's go."

Author's Notes

Yeah, yeah, I know. Not my best work, but not as inspired at the moment. Just bear with me.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: There are always new problems

Spyro crept up to the ridge overlooking his second home, the place of his first training... the Temple. It looked quite innocuous, with nothing showing between him and the reddish stone of the outer walls. It was tempting to run straight to it...

A muffled cough from behind him reminded him that he wasn't alone. Lined up behind him were all of the other dragons who had been forced to leave the sanctuary of the building before them, except for the elders, who had been forced to keep peace in another region of the world. Apparently, even reclaiming a home was no excuse for not showing up to work.

"Looks clean. Let's go," Spyro whispered to his companions. He crept forward toward the hole that had been an escape route once, now to be their entrance into the Temple. He had only taken a few steps when a white foreleg appeared in his path. Spyro looked questioningly at its owner. "What?"

"I found this place when we were setting runes, and placed a tripline at the exit. Trust me, you do NOT want it to go off," Cyrus explained. He bent forward, his eyes turning to a silver color. Spyro heard him mutter a few words, and a grate pattern of crimson light briefly flashed into sight, then faded.

"It's clear now," he announced.

"Good to hear," Spyro heard Cynder mutter under her breath. "Last thing we would need is another injury." Something was bothering her, and it seemed she was expressing it by a quick temper. He stopped, and padded over to where she stood.

"What's going on?"

Cynder looked up at him miserably. "I'm not sure I'll be any use here," she whispered.

"What? Why?"

"I can't breathe fire anymore. Ever since I used the poison..." she turned her head away.

"Oh... you think you can't use fire because you have those other four elements?" Spyro asked, thinking he knew the problem.

"It's not that. I mean, I can use fire, I know I should be able to, and I have been, but it has been weakening... a few days ago, all I could manage was black smoke." She looked back up, fear in her eyes. "What if I turn dark again, or accidentally kill someone?"

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen," he assured her. "But for now, let's just keep going."

For a third time, he turned toward the tunnel. A yawning blackness met his eyes- one that wouldn't last. He fired a ball of light to the ceiling, and a miniature sun blazed into being above his head.

The secret entrance that had been easy to access before was quite snug, Spyro mused. After about ten years of growth, he was forcing his shoulders through the plants that had also grown over.

Cynder watched as he jumped over to a small stump, then ran quickly across the vines that connected the pathway.

Right after he had landed, Cynder moved to do the same. She jumped to the stump, but before she landed she looked forward. Spyro was walking toward an archway with glowing runes.

Cynder shrieked in surprise as she slammed into the side of the ledge. Her distraction had caused her to misjudge the distance. Below her, the carnivorous plant life stirred, ready for its first feeding in centuries.

"Cynder!" She looked up to see Spyro running back toward her. What he didn't seem to notice, however, was that the branches that had supported his weight were turned to reveal sharp stingers, designed to impale any who would run onto them.

He took a step onto the roots... then he was at her side, pulling her back from a leafy demise and clearing the way for the rest of them. Fortunately, the vegetation seemed to realize it wouldn't make a meal out of Cynder, and reverted back to a still form, spikes sheathed.

Spyro laughed nervously. "That was too close," he murmured quietly. He looked exhausted for a moment, then was back to normal.

Ember padded up to the archway Spyro had been examining before. "What do you think this is for?"

Flame shrugged. "One way to find out." As soon as he stepped through, a blaring noise swept through the cavern. Immediately, he turned back to the group... and slammed into a wall.

"Flame, what are you doing? Get back here!" Ember called. He was standing in the middle of the room, staring in dismay at thin air.

"I can't!" He panicked. Flame pounded against the wall. "There's no way through!"

"Through what?"

"The wall!"

Flame scrabbled at the solid plant growth that had suddenly appeared behind him. What was stranger was the fact that the vines refused to smoke when he flamed it, even when he poured his all into the action.

Spyro glanced to his left. "Cyrus?"

The Half-wyvern grunted. "Definitely something odd... I can't sense anything, so I would guess it's actually real.

"So, go in with him?"

"Yeah. You know, I'm guessing it wasn't this hard the first time..."

Spyro stepped through the archway. "You're right. It wasn't."

Just as Flame had seen a wall, Spyro now did too. Flame jumped when he walked up, but settled soon after. Then he gasped in surprise, and he turned to see Ember and Cynder melting through the wall, with Cyrus not far behind.

As soon as Cyrus' tailtip came free of the wall, it melted itself, leaving a pale puddle of plant that evaporated quickly.

"What the-" Ember started, then broke off. It was too wierd.

"Messing with our minds," Cyrus muttered. "Maybe it gets harder by number, or by age?"

"Or something further along waiting to kill us," Ember put in.

"Maybe," Spyro agreed fervently. "But the good thing is, that was the last obstacle when I was here the first time, except for the few wild creatures scattered in the crags."

"Hurry! Push that pillar into its socket! Cynder, there's one behind you as well!" Spyro shouted over the din of combat. He whipped to his left, impaling one spider with mis tailtip while freezing another. He leaped into a forward roll, another spider pouncing to where he had been standing moments before and shattering its frozen ally. The spider was also unfortunate, as he landed on it moments later to snap its neck.

Panting, he looked forward to see that the others had found unique ways to kill their own enemies; Flame had melted the ground underneath his foes, the heat burning and cooking them. It was obvious that Cynder hadn't used any elemental powers, as the spiders each bore distinct marks to crush bodies. Ember had taken her group out by stealth, dropping out of sight to land heavy blows on each enemy. But the strangest sight had to be Cyrus' victims; some had strange holes in them, others missing body parts, and yet others floated at the ceiling, chittering woozily and waving their legs weakly. Apparently, he didn't plan to decimate ALL of the spiders.

Ember glanced over to Spyro. "I take it you planned to tell us as soon as we were finished getting away?"

"Yeah... anyway, sorry about that. Anyone hurt?"

Flame took a quick survey, but couldn't see anyone with injuries. As nobody was hurt, they all returned to work.

The seal on the door disappeared as soon as the dragon bust pillar was moved into place. It slowly creaked open, revealing an extra passage filled with the clouded gems that Spyro had found in his youth. He was apprehensive, however, because a note was left on the floor.

Cynder picked up the note. "Here's what you will need," she read. She glanced up. "Any ideas?"

Spyro shook his head. "It's clear that they're meant for us, even if we don't know who left them. I guess it's best that we recover, though."

The piles and piles of gems in front of them were shortly crushed, healing and power gems strengthening them all.

Cynder glanced up. They were all glowing with power, and she herself felt as though she could destroy all of the obstacles in her path; it was unfortunate that she also felt that she would need it.

Ember padded forward slowly, reaching for the pull bar to open the door. But it heated to a yellow-red color and melted away from her grasp. She reared back in confusion; as soon as she had pulled her hand away, the metal had returned to its original shape, hissing and steaming and cooling.

"Oh what now?!" Cyrus started frustratedly. He strode up to the ornery portal. The grip didn't melt this time; instead, it began to frost, the metal shrieking as the temperature dropped. As soon as Cyrus' claw touched the metal, it burst, sending shards of metal to every corner of the room. Before a movement away from the door could happen, another strange letter appeared from the space in between the slats of the wood. "Neither," he read, "but both." He glanced over to Spyro.

"Why does it seem like everyone wants to use me in their plans?" Spyro grumbled. However, he did step up to where the door still yet held closed. He reached toward where the handle was, and the shards of the handle flew back to place. Now the door opened. He held the door for the others, but was the only one that saw the purple streak heading away from the corner they emerged on.

"Go ahead! I'll get this one!" Spyro called behind him. What he didn't see, however, was the look of bewilderment on each of his companion's faces. All he was focused on was the sight he had seen- another purple dragon, but not Malefor.

He trailed the other dragon for quite a distance, eventually realizing that his target was slowing, but not voluntarily. After a few more paces, it ducked into a side room... his room. But before it could hide, Spyro leaped onto its back, pinning a hauntingly familiar dragon to the ground. The dragon wheezed exhaustedly, before bucking Spyro over to the wall.

Spyro stood up, ready to chase again if his adversary decided to flee again. But the old dragon seemed to tired to flee... it looked to be at least as old as Ignitus, perhaps older; it was a wonder that it had run that far in the first place.

"It's actually rather insulting to realize just how out of shape I've gotten," the elder wheezed. "But I couldn't let them see me. It's still bad that you saw me..."

"Why? Where did you come from? How are you alive, unless you're from a time before Malefor?" Spyro demanded angrily. The elder in front of him was familiar for some reason... he had the same shoulders as Spyro did, and there was an odd gleam in his eyes that reminded him of himself.

"Not where... when. But... not before Malefor's betrayal, but after he's gone for the last time." The elder interrupted. Then he bent over, his legs failing him as he slumped to the ground.

"The future- wait, wait, stay with me," he ordered. He rushed over to the dragon's side, feeding light power into him until he could stand again on his own.

"I can't... stay..." he groaned, struggling to his feet. "I've got to go back," he managed, gasping with each breath.

"At least tell me your name," Spyro protested. He ran to the elder's side and grabbed his shoulder.

He glanced back. "Is it really that hard? I won't tell you... just remember to stay away from the room with the pool of visions." He shrugged the off the paw, then disappeared, fading away with each breath to leave Spyro alone.

He was still standing there, shocked, when Cynder appeared in the doorway, followed by Cyrus, then Ember and Flame.

"Did you see me?" Spyro asked, hoping that he hadn't gone insane.

Cynder hit his foreleg. "You went shooting off. It's a wonder we found you."

"Not me," Spyro insisted. "The other me. The old one?"

"Um... you just ran away. There was nobody there."

He stared at where he had seen himself, lost in thought. It was because of this that he jumped when Cynder nudged him again. "You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah... lets go," he said, glancing back one last time as he stepped out toward the hallway. He felt something was off about the encounter, but he couldn't do anything about it.

If he had come back from that far in the future, that meant he had survived- but at what cost would he return?

Author's Notes

Now, I know that this is all at once. But it's ending soon, and I'd like suggestions on what might be missing from any point in the story. I'll be revising short chapters, and filling in missing points. Making things relevant, et cetera. My thanks to those who I know will answer, and the same to those who review now. I'd prefer messages though; don't clog the review page, and I know that they're new messages. Thanks.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: a final stand

"You never know, they might be in there," Cyrus persisted. He couldn't get a read on Spyro, but from the way they found him staring into space like he had seen a horrible tragedy was unsettling. After that, they had searched the temple, but had seen neither head nor hindtail of Malefor and Shara.. Except for one room, the entire building had been searched clean. But Spyro had pleaded with them to leave the elders' room unsearched for the time. That left the Pool of Visions and a balcony also uncovered.

Spyro lowered his voice and leaned in toward him. "Cyrus.. just don't go in there. I saw... okay, I don't know what I've seen, but I've at least got to make sure it's safe to go in there. Can you stay out and keep them out until I come back?"

"Come back from where?"

Spyro sighed wearily. "Look, Cyrus, you know when the Chronicler knocked me out and unlocked my powers over light?" Cyrus nodded, and he hung his head. "I wish it was just that. The light was really just an afterthought... that was when he showed me what would happen if anyone else was present in the battle. All of you, even Shara, are vital to key future events.

"The first problem is dealt with by Cynder... I wasn't quite sure, but she was definitely sealing something out of this realm. She's the easiest to keep away, as she just comes over to look for me."

"What do you want me do do? Lie to her and risk you dying?" Cyrus said, frustrated. He had told himself that he would help Spyro not kill him!

"Anyone that DOES try to help me dies!" Spyro snapped. "I have seen the future, but I'm powerless to change it. But you- Cyrus, you're an unknown variable." He leaned over to grab his shoulder, a habit of his developing very quickly. "You're the one that can save them all."

"So basically, you want me to stand by this door until you're either victorious or dead," Cyrus stated flatly.

Spyro winced. "Not quite... after you send Cynder away, enter and hopefully drag Shara out. If she's not back to normal, just give her the charm back, then hide her. None of them can know." Did he see an odd shimmer in Spyro's eye?

Cyrus nodded. "This entire plan makes sense."

"Really?"

"Of course not! You want me to lie not only to your mate, but also two of my closest friends, while you charge in to play the hero. Tell me, how would that make sense to ANYONE?" Cyrus roared at him.

Spyro looked taken aback at Cyrus' harsh words. He had tried to explain to the best of his ability, and failed miserably. He looked up, surprised, when Cyrus carried on. "But I'll help you."

Spyro was weak with relief. "Thank you," he whispered. "Now just stay here and say I'm somewhere else... and don't forget Shara. And Cyrus, she isn't my mate."

Cyrus snorted. "If you can't see it, you must be blind. After all you've been through together, it takes a special kind of person to want what to stay with you."

There was no comment. Spyro cracked the door open. "Just keep watch out here," he ordered. Then, without another word, he slipped inside and pulled it closed.

Spyro breathed a silent sigh of relief. His job had been made much easier, just by Cyrus' agreement. If all went well in accordance to his friends, things were far better than he had originally hoped. His first plan had been to focus on Cynder and Cyrus, but in retrospect it had been much easier with indirect help as he battled alone.

Refocusing on that battle, he looked ahead. There was a small corridor with moss growing on the walls, and beyond that the guardians' chamber was lit with an odd crimson glow. He had little doubt who had caused the lighting change, though.

His suspicion was confirmed when a lithe brown form dropped down to face him, her eyes the only indicator that she didn't want anything she was about to do to happen. Shara held her arms out at a combat ready position, her wings folded into defensive shields. Charms shimmered along the feathery length of each wing, giving her the image of a sort of angel that had just dropped to the ground.

Malefor dropped down behind her, his form much less graced and far more scarred. Unlike Shara, however, he stood in a less agressive pose, even if his eyes shone with enough hatred to fill several lives with unhappiness.

"Malefor," Spyro growled. There was no other word- he simply growled the name out through clenched teeth.

"Ah. Spyro. I was hoping it would only be you coming to greet me."

Spyro circled warily. "What do you want with me?"

Malefor chucked. "What do you want with ME?" He asked in a roundabout manner. "That's what should be asked. You haven't come here to kill me, have you?"

He leaned in toward Spyro. "You need me," he whispered.

"Why would I need you? All you've tried to do is destroy the planet. Even now, you're controlling people for your own purposes. You'd be better dead."

Malefor jerked back, stung at the words. "So.. you think all of my power comes from others? I'll show you, and... Cyrus will thank me for it, if I fail and actually am beaten here," he snarled. He waved a paw toward Shara, and she collapsed, smoking and writhing on the floor. Spyro rushed over to the griffin, and dragged her to the hallway.

"I'll give you a chance to leave, right now. If you don't, well..." Spyro trailed off at that. He didn't believe that Malefor would just turn around and flee, though.

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Cyrus swallowed nervously. He wasn't sure that he would be able to keep up a charade. He paced around the room, anxiously waiting for Cynder to arrive. He did believe Spyro, but if it was meant to happen that way, why couldn't he have just sent away the others early, suggest a patrol outside, or something?

He jumped a moment later when Cynder ambled into the room. The dragoness seemed relaxed for searching for enemies, but she did appear to be searching.

Cyrus gulped again. Moment of truth. Stepping forward, he asked Cynder, "What are you looking for?"

Cynder looked up. "Oh. Hey, Cyrus. I'm just looking for Spyro. Have you seen him?" Her gaze, though inquisitive, was not accusatory; instead, it was filled with curiosity.

"Um..." he started, "I think he said something about looking in the catacombs. It was either that or the library; I was busy searching the other room for useful hints. You could start down there, I s'pose,"he added.

"Okay. Thanks, Cyrus," Cynder said, hurrying toward the stairs. She heaved twice, once to open the old passage, then again at the foul air that rushed out to meet her.

Cyrus didn't relax until he saw Cynder's tail disappear the last few feet down the corridor. Then he turned toward the now seemingly forbidding door, almost trembling as he pushed it open.

There certainly was a method to Spyro's apparent madness; Shara lay at his feet as he had foretold. There was a problem with her though– she was smoking, and when he picked her up she seemed unnaturally stiff. There was some large number of things going on with her wings, too. She was breathing though, so the rest could probably wait until she was safe and out of sight.

His head jerked up at an infuriated screech. It reminded Cyrus that he wasn't safe where he was. He also was reminded that he had to save Shara as well. He half-dragged, half-carried her to a nearby room and shut the door. He then opened it again, slipping inside and yanking his necklace off to reaffix it around her neck. Without another word, he left to return to his post. He glanced back just before closing the door– there was definitely something going on with her, something odd.

The moment he returned, he nearly panicked– he had left the door open in his haste, and growls and crashes were reverberating from the ensuing battle. Cyrus rushed over and slammed the door shut.

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Ember and Flame had been overlooking the gardens and open courtyards, and try as they might to stay vigilant, it was too easy to relax.

Flame was simply enjoying the moment. Ember had fallen into a doze, her head resting on his shoulder as she slept. He was still watching passively, while his mind wandered. The entire time Ember had been amnesiac, it had been him that she had trusted. With no memory of any other instances, she had reached out to him. Flame had to admit that he hed been a slight disappointed when she had needed him less after bashing her head. He had been relieved when she had stayed by him at that time.

He really cared for her. Ever since they had been small children, they had been the only ones to stick together, even after they ran away. Even when the tribe they had found had split them apart. He had risked his neck more than once to simply visit her.

Flame sighed. Memories were where things were better. If he had a chance to look forward in time when he was young, he'd have stayed in the horrible orphanage and taken his chances.

He snapped back awake a while later when an infuriated roar sounded from the central chamber behind them. Ember jumped to her feet. "What was that?"

She had do duck moments later as a large boulder hurtled where her head had been moments before. "And what was that?"

"I don't know," Flame said, "but I'm going to find out." He marched into the temple, angered that there had been such a surprise.

It appeared that Cyrus had been the epicenter of the blast. Smoke curled from his scales, and his eyes were wide with shock. He coughed, and there was smoke pouring from his mouth, too.

Flame rushed forward to where Cyrus stood. "Cyrus, what's going on? What just happened in here?"

"I..." his excuse trailed into another cough. He waved his paw weakly, still shocked. He had been waiting for Ember and Flame to enter the room when the door had burst open and Spyro and Malefor had rolled out, shrieking and battering at each other, both physically and elementally. There were attacks flying everywhere; Cyrus had just enough time to jump out of the path of a large swath of fiery rocks. Both had looked badly injured; Spyro's shoulder and flank were sliced open and he had a nasty cut over his eye, and Malefor had several slashes across his haunches and one paw was flayed open through and through. Spyro had frozen for a moment, then fled back into the now incredibly damaged chamber to continue the fight, aiming a blow at Malefor's head to keep his attention.

"Cyrus?" Ember prompted. Cyrus winced. He had to persuade them it was an accident, but he hadn't a clue what to say.

"I'll look here for what hit me," Cyrus began. "You can go to find Cynder. She's been in the catacombs for awhile, and I'm starting to worry about her." It wasn't a lie, not exactly anyway. Both things he had said were true.

"Sure." Flame walked to the stairs and descended to where Cynder had gone.

Cyrus looked to Ember. "You going?" he asked.

Ember shook her head. "I know something's going on. I can tell you already know what hit you, and you're trying to get rid of us." She paused, then repeated more gently, "what's going on?"

Cyrus shook his head. "I can't tell you that."

"Dammit Cyrus! Why can't you just tell us anything? If you've got something to tell us, tell us!"

"It isn't about me," Cyrus whispered.

Ember looked taken aback. "What?"

"This–" he gestured around him "–has always been about Spyro. Just what he is, how we all follow him... it's what made Malefor so dangerous. He didn't have anyone to help guide him. Let's make sure history doesn't repeat itself."

"Again... what exactly are you talking about?"

"Ember, you have to promise me, whatever I say, that you'll not go in there." He gestured toward the door. "Okay?"

"Fine. Now tell me what your big grandiose speech was about?"

Cyrus took a deep breath. "Spyro's in that room hoping to kill Malefor and Shara's in one of the dormitory rooms with something happening to her. I'm here right now to send you all away and keep anyone out here from is downstairs, probably not for long now, with Flame searching for her. The reason I'm smoking and all that is because Spyro and Malefor rolled out here. Spyro looked like he was winning." He glared at Ember for a moment, and suddenly she could see that he was really trying not to break down. "Is there anything else I missed?"

Ember was quiet for quite some time after that. Then she stepped forward and lightly hit his shoulder.

Cyrus looked up. "Did you think that we wouldn't help you? You could've just asked, and we would've helped," Ember tried to reassure him. He didn't reply. The thought had already crossed Cyrus' mind, but he had dismissed it almost immediately because he feared that Cynder would charge into the room and Spyro's idea, whatever it was, his plan would fail. But if he had Ember help him, his job could be much easier...

"Okay," Cyrus decided swiftly. "You just go to keep them occupied down there, and since I'm the one with options, I'll check on Shara and Spyro."

He moved toward the extra room he had moved Shara into, but before he could leave, he felt a paw grab around his back leg. He looked back. "Don't you think I should check them out, since it's more than a little suspicious if you're always in here?"

He nodded. "So I go downstairs and search while you look to Shara." He jerked his head at the door, then went to find Flame and Cynder.

Ember waited, much like Cyrus had, until he had left. Then she turned to the indicated room. It was there that she found Shara in much the same state as he had found her.

"Cyrus, she's barely alive... and you shove her in the closet." She reached out to check Shara's pulse, and recoiled in shock.

"What..."

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Cynder rummaged through the rubble beneath the Temple. There was a virtual labyrinth, and it was all either filled with rusted weaponry and war provisions or rubble. With moss growing from the ceiling and uncleared spaces filled with animal dens, there was definitely an odd feeling to the space. She had burned her way through several walls of a rather nastily thorned plant, and as she walked through passage after passage, she doubted Spyro was down there. At least not as far down as she had explored. But though it was a maze, it was fortunate that there were maps around every corner, and she briefly wondered why it was abandoned– to time, perhaps? Whatever it was, the more threatening vegetation seemed to want to grow there.

She jumped moment later when footsteps sounded behind her. She whipped around, jumping on the assumed assailant.

"Um... Cynder?" The words were barely audible.

Her eyes widened. Her "assailant" was Flame. She released his neck from the choke hold she had put on him, then stepped off of him.

"Sorry!"

Flame coughed. "It's all right," he spluttered, "I shouldn't have snuck up on you. What are you doing down here?"

"Cyrus said Spyro headed down here. Well, either here or the library, and now I've checked both. You seen him?"

"Not since we first searched the temple. Why?"

"I think it's about time we went into the elders' chamber– you know, the one we were told to keep out of? I get the feeling he's in there," Cynder answered.

"In the elders' chamber? Hmm. He might be outside, you know..."

Cynder shook her head . "I already searched out there, ALL over for him. There's no way he's out there; I would've seen him."

"I don't find people easily, what do you want from me?" he asked almost sarcastically.

"I'm going to leave this place anyway... gives me the creeps," she said, shivering. "There's something to this place that just..."

Flame glanced at the ivy tendrils growing from the wall. Was one of the tendrils wrapping around his foot? "I know what you mean," Flame agreed. "Let's go."

They met up with Cyrus as he finally reached the bottom of the fifteenth floor of stairs.

"Hey," he panted. "I was looking for you guys."

Cynder stared at him. "Did you just run down all those stairs?"

Cyrus stood there for a bit, confused at what she was saying. Then he replied slowly, "Why... didn't you?"

Flame laughed. "You could've just glided down. They made the passage big enough for that. The stairs were for cheetahs or moles."

"Ready to go back up, Cyrus?" Cynder said. Not giving him time to reply, she launched herself into the widened staircase.

Cyrus snorted. "I can't use the staircase... my wings are just slightly too big for it. Guess who's stuck running again?"

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Spyro slammed Malefor repeatedly into the wall. The battle had been going for almost an hour; he was exhausted, but in a few minutes it would be over... and his friends would be safe.

The dark drake had just fallen unconscious, and now it was his chance to finish him. He knew, deep down, that the only way to keep the world safe was to kill Malefor, but he also knew that he would be no better than Malefor if he did kill him in cold blood.

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Cynder and Flame reached the top of the stairs, only slightly winded, while Cyrus gasped for breath at the top of the sixth set of stairs. She turned around, and called down the stairs.

"Cyrus! Are you coming soon?"

"I'll... be there soon..." The reply came faintly, drawn out and tired.

"Not soon enough," Cynder muttered. "Come on Flame." She led him out toward the central room. As they entered, Ember popped her head out of a side room.

"Uh... Flame, can you help me in here for a second?"

"What do you need?" He said, padding into the room and over to her side.

Ember didn't respond. All she did was gesture to the figure on the floor.

At first, he didn't comprehend the sight. He saw Shara– feathers, clothes, wings. Then he looked closer. Shara's arm twitched, and the feathers slid off to reveal talons, accompanied by a pristine set of brown scales.

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Spyro dragged Malefor to the center of the room. He planned to break the dragon before his death, make him feel every bit of pain he had put out. He felt like something had just changed his mind for him, to make him want to kill Malefor. He curled his paw into a fist. Then he struck, and something flew from Malefor's chest– a necklace of sorts. He ignored it, but froze moments later when he heard a shocked cry from Cynder.

"Stop it!"

Slowly, the red haze of battle drained from his vision. He stumbled, no longer sure of his actions. He had almost killed needlessly, and had almost stooped to his opponent's level. Now, however, he had another chance, one to keep his honor. Sure of his complete victory, he turned to where Cynder stood, confident they would be surprised but not angry.

He stumbled then when Cynder rammed into his side. "What did you think you were doing?" she snarled, all traces of friendliness gone. All he could see was a hurt look on her face. "You could've been killed!"

"Cynder... I..." he tried to explain himself, but he the words caught in his throat.

Cynder didn't respond well to his silence. She glared at him for a second before leaving the room with a frustrated hiss. On her way, she made the mistake of kicking Malefor's amulet at the wall. There was a high pitched whine, right before it rattled up to a standstill... He saw flames bloom, with shards flying from the wreckage. He could also see things he shouldn't have been able to– like the shockwave of the blast. It slowed eventually to a stop... just like everything else. He sidestepped a large piece of shrapnel, looking into the center of the explosion. Then it ran in reverse, backing until Cynder struck the amulet.

"Look out!" Spyro knew he didn't have time to explain, he simply jumped and tackled Cynder just before the explosion's shockwave reached both of them. He felt the brunt of the explosive tear into his side, but he knew it wasn't fatal and that he had saved Cynder's life. Then he saw nothing more.


	21. Epilogue

It seemed that not so long ago, I just started this journey. I am grateful to those who have helped me, both with reviews and advice...

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Chapter 21/ epilogue

"Spyro... wake up." The words floated to his ears, even when he couldn't sense anything else.

"Wake up, young dragon." Gradually, he became aware of a cold stone floor beneath him and the sound of turning pages.

A paw prodded him in the side. He opened his eyes, not surprised to find the Chronicler standing above him. He groaned, then stood up, surprised that he was stiff. He glanced around, and he saw he was in his host's library.

"How long was I out?" Spyro asked. He stretched, hearing cracks and pops from folded joints.

"According to your friends, you still are. I just wanted to speak to you for a moment," the Chronicler said. "Walk with me."

Stone steps appeared in front of them, floating into the space ahead of them with no apparent destination.

They padded along in silence. Then the Chronicler spoke up.

"Do you feel that you did the right thing, taking Malefor on by yourself?"

The question took Spyro by surprise. "Don't you?"

He shook his head. "Not for me to say. But you did do well, in your choice of action. Nobody died, and Malefor has been freed. But keep a watch on how you treat Cynder, hmm?"

Spyro winced. The look of betrayal on her face was one he knew he wouldn't be able to forget.

He pushed those thoughts away. "Any other surprises I should know about?"

The Chronicler glanced over to him, surprised. "You know that I don't reveal the future unless great problems could arise from NOT revealing it." He lowered his voice. "But between you and me, the worst is over for a long time."

"And one more thing... what happened to the amulet that Malefor had?"

"That was just one of the trinkets Malefor had. It exploded when he lost and was touched– that was what set it off. Nothing more, though."

Spyro peered into the distance. "Is that–"

"Yes, that is my library. I moved us. Unless you want to talk more, I suspect you want to return home?"

"Yes."

They stepped into the building, and the Chronicler turned to Spyro. A small ball of light appeared in his paw, and he handed it to Spyro.

Spyro stared at it. "What is this for?"

"You'll know when you wake up, and don't worry- nobody else will see it. Just heal one of them, and the other will come around soon..." his voice was fading, along with the entire area. The ground evaporated under him, and he drifted into open space.

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The first sense he had when he awoke again was sound. Not waiting for his other senses to return, his eyes snapped open and he jumped to his feet. He winced as his side and wing screamed in pain at the simple action, closed gashes still painfully apparent. He stumbled, careful not to drop the orb. Now that he was in the real world, it pulsed with small waves of light and had an oddly warm and comforting feel to it.

Comforting as it was, he decided he should probably figure out how to use it. He stepped out into the corridor, and was nearly crushed in a hug from Ember. He choked down the pain from his side.

She released him moments later. "You're awake! I'll go get the others!" She didn't wait for a reply, but instead dashed off to a different hall.

He suspected something had happened from the time he had fallen unconscious from the battle to when he had woken up. He followed Ember around one corner, through the adjoining passage, and met Flame and Cynder by the infirmary when they saw Ember.

A look of slight surprise flashed across Flame's face, and Cynder pointedly looked the other way.

Ember slipped inside the infirmary. "Where's she going?" Spyro queried.

"She's seeing if Cyrus will come out. He's been in there for days, staying with Shara." Flame's voice caught a little when he spoke.

"What happened?"

Flame shook his head. "Nobody here knows. She was out like that when Cyrus pulled her out of that huge battle you fought. Not a good move, by the way."

Cynder abruptly stood up. "I'm going in now," she announced. And she did.

Flame glanced back and forth from Cynder to Spyro. "What did you do?"

Spyro avoided the question, even when he was saddened by Cynder's reaction. "So, how long was I out?"

"Just under two weeks."

"How long has Cyrus been in there?" Spyro asked. As if that wasn't obvious.

"Just under two weeks."

"That's a long time."

"And he's dedicated," Flame replied. "At least he's sleeping occasionally. Now, there's one more thing you need to know before you go in there."

"What is it?"

Flame lowered his voice. "Whatever Malefor did to her, it, well... changed her."

Spyro leaned forward in interest. "Changed how?"

"How to put it... um... she's a dragon."

"What?"

"Its the best guess we have at the moment. Now, are we going to go in?"

The two drakes stepped into the infirmary then. As advertised, Shara did appear draconic– scales, short horns, skin wings (not feathered). It was all there. She wasn't quite right for a dragon, though; her skeletal and muscle structure was more like she had been before, and she had more dexterous hands. Her breathing came roughly. And while her head had been altered slightly, it still retained the more graceful features of a griffin..

Ember stood helplessly over Cyrus. The white wyrm was passed out on the floor at her side. He almost looked as bad as when he had been at their short-lived refuge.

Spyro held up the orb that he had been given. Was this what "heal someone" meant?

He stepped toward Shara, but was blocked with a white forepaw as Cyrus stood up, stretching. He blinked, then his eyes narrowed on the glowing ball in Spyro's paw.

"What are you doing?" Cyrus asked. "I think just about anything would be worse for her right now."

Spyro was confused. Could he see it? No one was supposed to see what he held. He tried to pass it off in a small gesture. He moved his paw over Shara again. He pressed it into the center of her chest, and stepped back to watch.

Shara's form shuddered. She began to breathe better, and she straightened out to a more natural position. She groaned weakly, but didn't wake up.

Cyrus leaned forward to level with Spyro and check on Shara again. "This is the best she's been in days." He glanced over at Spyro. "Whatever you did, it's working."

Spyro lowered his voice. "Just something the Chronicler gave me. Said to heal someone." He glanced over at Cyrus. "He also said that I'd be the only one to see it."

Cyrus smirked. "I didn't. Just kinda a ripple in the air. A ball?"

Spyro shook his head. "You never cease to amaze me."

Both their attentions were drawn back to Shara when she suddenly shot upright, with a shriek of shock. She gazed around wildly, then settled on Cyrus with relieved look.

"How did.. I... get here?" Shara rasped, her voice scratchy from about two week's disuse. "I remember going outside to get some fresh air, and... waking up here."

Spyro stood, stretching his legs. "I think I'll leave you two alone. Coming, guys?"

Cyrus waited until they left to turn back to Shara. "How do you feel?"

Shara didn't reply right away. She just lay there, taking stock in her memories. Then she said, "I'm not sure yet. It's just..." she shook her head slowly. "I know I was outside a minute ago."

"Do you feel... different?"

"Why, should I?"

"You might..."

Shara closed her eyes and rubbed her head. "You're giving me a headache," she said. Then she opened her eyes, and froze in surprise.

"What's this about?" she said, examining her hand. She admired briefly the way the light reflected better from scales than her old feathered coat. "Certainly different."

"It is. You know, I'm surprised that you're taking this so well," Cyrus remarked.

She tried to sit up, but stopped for two reasons. The first reason was more obvious, with the hooks on her wings catching on the fabric. She stopped from that, then happened to glance down. A quick glance under the blanket confirmed her suspicion.

Shara sighed. "Cyrus, what happened to my clothes?"

"Um... they sorta burned off when you started smoking.. Sorry about that."

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Cynder stormed away from where they had stepped away from the infirmary, choking back a sob. She had been waiting long enough for Spyro to talk with her– not that she would admit that.

She had been staying on more of the watches on Spyro, hoping she would be the first one to see after he woke up. She had been worried sick when Flame had carried him out of the chamber. He had looked so much as shredded then, which would've been her had he not shielded her. Why wasn't he paying more attention to her now, after what had happened?

Spyro looked after Cynder, watching her disappear around the corner helplessly. Then he flinched as someone punched his shoulder.

Both Ember and Flame were standing there; they looked incredulous at his clueless expression. "What?"

"What are you waiting for? Go after her!" Flame ordered. Beside him, Ember nodded.

That was all the encouragement Spyro needed. Spinning around, he dashed around the corner to go outside.

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Cynder had found a quiet corner of the gardens to settle in. She was disturbed by the way Spyro had swept past her.

She knew she wasn't being fair to him– he couldn't have known about her watching over his recovery. He hadn't been awake. But still – why didn't he even directly talk to her?

Her head whipped around as she heard soft, padded footsteps in the outer halls. Through the bush she had ducked under, she saw a cloaked form carrying a bow drop to the ground.

Cynder was relieved. "Hunter?" she called.

He turned, and it was indeed their more mysterious companion. His expression was guarded, but he relaxed when he saw it was only Cynder. "Ah. Why haven't I been told about those deathtraps outside your Temple?" He lifted hos left arm, and there was a burn all across his cloak and a patch of singe on his fur.

She winced. "Yeah... sorry about that. We haven't really gotten around to fixing that side of the minefield yet."

Hunter glanced to the left, only now realizing the boulder embedded in the wall wasn't normally there. "What happened?"

"It's too long a story. You can wait until we tell the elders when they return. Please."

He laughed. "Well, I guess that'd be easier."

Just at that moment, Spyro entered the garden at the far side. He looked around for a moment, then ran over when he spotted them.

"Hey," he said, out of breath. He didn't seem the slightest bit surprised about Hunter. "Can I talk with Cynder for a second?"

Cynder stopped staring at the floor. "You sure you don't want to talk to Hunter first?" she teased. "Well, let's go then."

With that, both of them left Hunter. He shook his head. "What just happened?"

Spyro padded at her side for a short while, relieved that at least she had agreed to walk with him. "I can tell you've got something you wanted to say for a while now," he ventured.

Cynder glanced over at him, and he could see her pained expression. "It just... scares me, when you throw yourself at something, even when you don't have much of a winning chance."

Spyro thought he knew what she was saying. "Like when I was fighting Malefor... you thought I was wrong to go alone?"

"Not just that... the lies you put into it, having Cyrus mislead all of us, assuring us... even before that. You told us to prepare for a battle, when you were really preparing for a different battle." She pulled away from him for a moment. "Is there anything else you've hidden from us?"

It was at that point that Spyro realized she wasn't so much offended ir angry as scared for him. He would have to be less of a self-reliant person if she was to stay with him.

Completely honest. He shuddered.

Pulling her back over to him, he replied, "Nothing. I can't say everything will be perfect in the future, but... I'll always be yours, Cynder."

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While they had been walking outside, Flame and Ember had been wandering inside the Temple, and they heard a patter of feet behind them. Ember's head whipped around, but there wasn't anyone there.

She shook her head, turning back to watch her path. She stopped in surprise when a cloaked cheetah with a bow and a travel sack dropped to land in front of her, though.

Flame stepped forward. "Who are you?"

"I'm Hunter. You?" The cheetah sounded in a slight hurry, but nonetheless he performed an odd but polite gesture in dipping his head slightly.

Ember stepped forward, ignoring Flame's annoyed hiss. "I'm Ember, and this is Flame. Is there something we can help you with?"

Hunter nodded. "I'm just here to see the elders, but I can't seem to find them."

"They're out –again– on some diplomatic assignment."

"Not everyone, mind you," came a voice from the other room. "Your people can be quite stubborn when it comes down to a war between tribes, Hunter." It was Ignitus.

"Yes, quite determined to stay to their view, not even consider the others. Very self-centered, if I may say so myself," said Cyril.

Hunter stared at the old ice dragon. "Really..." he shook his head. "Anyway, I heard from my tribe that that Spyro fought and won against Malefor recently." He gazed around curiously. "Is it true?"

Ignitus met his gaze steadily. "Yes, that's what happened."

Hunter nodded slowly. "Then is it also true that you're keeping him... alive?"

He shook his head. "Why would we keep the worst mass murderer in our history alive? That would just invite more hostility and death to our home."

Hunter shrugged. "Well, that's the official business completed." He reached up to his ear, and brought out a small insect-shaped piece of metal. It chirped inquiringly, then lifted off of his hand and buzzed away.

He grimaced. "Sorry. One of the little automatons that I was forced to bring with me. The last."

Ignitus chuckled, shaking his head slowly. "I know you're here for something else as well."

"Actually, this time it is just official business. I'll be off on another job in a few days. Something on sightings of feathered and oddly shaped... and sentient... hawk dragons. I'm thinking griffins, as crazy as that seems. I mean, they're extinct, aren't they?"

There was a nervous moment of silence. Then Cyrus poked his head out of the infirmary. He didn't ask questions about Hunter's appearance, but brightened considerably when he saw the bag over his shoulder. He grabbed it and rummaged through it for a moment.

Hunter whipped around. "Hey! That's my–"

Cyrus held up a long cloak. "Sorry. I'm Cyrus– and I need to borrow this. Thanks!" He went back into the infirmary.

He threw his hands in the air frustratedly. "What is it today with just either brief hello's or ignorance of me?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cyrus slipped inside the door and jogged over to where Shara was still covered. "This what you were talking about?" He tossed the cloak over to her, then looked away as she dressed.

"Uh... I guess it'll do," Shara replied. "Now all I've got to do is cut a hole in the back for my wings."

"Okay... let's go see why they were talking about griffins."

That brought Shara up short. "What? What kind of talk?"

Cyrus sighed. "I don't know. And we won't be able to know if we don't go out. Coming?" With that, he padded out the door.

Shara stood shakily, then yelped as she stepped on her tail. "Gah... why did I get a tail too?" She slowly made her way outside.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What would they do to one of these... griffins, if they managed to capture one?" Ignitus asked warily.

Hunter shook his head. "I don't know. And it's not likely that one will be caught. They've been so elusive, it's like they weren't aware they settled so close to us, and now they're just hidden. Any attempts to enter their settlements have failed. You get close, and they disappear."

Shara stepped over to him. "How fast?"

"Faster than you can blink. Some people have lost memory of the entire area too– they just suddenly look around, confused." He looked surprised. "And you are?"

"Shara. I need you to show me where these search groups are, how many there are, and possibly where I can join up." She reversed course a little, realizing she was quite invading Hunter's personal space.

"What? Shara, no!" Cyrus said, almost horrified. "You can't go–" he stopped himself, aware that their guest didn't know her history.

Shara pulled him aside. "This is my choice... I'm sorry if you can't accept that, but I have to go back, or at least try to." She made sure he was listening before continuing. "And I want you to come with me."

He pulled back for a moment. "Really?"

"Of course!"

He pulled her in for a hug. "That's great!"

Hunter broke in. "If you're going with me, you'd best pack your things soon and say your goodbyes– you're going to have to leave in two days."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So you're sure about this?" Ember asked.

"I've got to leave," Flame said quietly. "I'd like you to come with me."

"But... what about the others? Don't you think we ought to tell them about this?" Ember protested. "I mean, you aren't even sure that what she said was true..."

It was true, though. He had recieved a letter by the now-revived aerial mail service.

Flame turned to her. "Okay, we'll tell them," he sighed. "I mean, it's not like you find someone who could be your sister every day..."

Spyro interrupted at that point. "What? You have a sister?!" he exclaimed.

He and Cynder had entered unnoticed while they had been speaking.

"We were just talking about going to see her," Ember said.

Flame drew Ember towards him. "I know we won't be back for a while, but try not to be sad about it... somehow, I just know that we'll be around again."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So this is it," Cynder said sadly.

They sat in solidude on the balcony, the six of them sharing the last time they'd be together as a whole for quite some time. Spyro and Cynder had protested their leaving so soon after their victory, but to no avail; it seemed like there was nothing that could delay them.

Hunter padded out softly. "I know it might not seem like it, but we have to go now..."

Cyrus stretched, and Shara used him as a support to stand. She walked over to each of the other four, giving each of them a farewell hug.

"I... I just want to let you know, I'm sorry we have to leave so soon. Just... keep the place safe, alright? I've come to like it, and I don't want to come back to a ruin," Shara said, choking a little as she spoke. Cyrus said nothing, but stepped forward to nod his own good-byes.

Ember and Flame exchanged a glance, the stood as well. "I guess it's time we're off, too..."

This time, there were no words to say– what else could be said? They were parting ways, and there wasn't anything that would stop that.

Cynder and Spyro watched as Flame and Ember flew away, similarly followed by Cyrus, Shara, and Hunter on foot; Hunter didn't have wings, and Shara's were too weak yet to fly long distances.

"Do you thimk we'll see them again?" Cynder asked softly. Hunter's new trio had long since disappeared into the thick copse of the forest, and Flame and Ember were small specks by the time she spoke. "I mean, we all kinda went our separate ways..."

Spyro thought carefully as he watched the sun rise on the new day. "There's always a chance, isn't there?"

"That's not really an answer..."

He thought carefully again before he finally answered a second time. "Somehow, I have a feeling we'll see each other sometime..."


End file.
